"global warming" "climate change" "kyoto protocol" - 83 Documents ---sbs--- Ê 1. The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê358 words,ÊEnvironment Ministry heats up campaign to head off new ice age,ÊJun Sugimori Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun Ê The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) June 2, 2004 Wednesday SECTION: Pg. 4 LENGTH: 358 words HEADLINE: Environment Ministry heats up campaign to head off new ice age BYLINE: Jun Sugimori Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer SOURCE: Yomiuri BODY: In an unprecedented limelight-grabbing move, the Environment Ministry is promoting a Hollywood movie depicting the threat of climate change caused by global warming, with its minister organizing Saturday's Japanese premiere of the film. "The Day After Tomorrow" depicts a scenario in which global warming caused by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions sends the Earth into another ice age. The ministry asked the leading actor, Dennis Quaid, and director, Roland Emmerich, who were in Japan, to visit Environment Minister Yuriko Koike. "The movie can relay the message of how important it is to protect the Earth better than several thousand words of mine," Koike said holding up a ministry poster featuring a scene from the movie, which is being used to promote the ministry's monthlong campaign to promote environmental protection. It is generally predicted that global warming, if it continues unabated, will lead to a temperature rise of up to 5.8 C in 100 years and raise the sea level by 88 centimeters. However, Prof. Toshio Yamagata of Tokyo University believes global warming will lead to something far more serious than warmer winters. As is scientifically known, the Earth gradually became warmer when the last ice age ended about 12,000 years ago. But after this date, the temperature dived again for a period of about 1,000 years. The Earth freezes when a massive amount of ice at the North and South poles melts due to global warming. This thaw drastically slows the global circulation of seawater, which takes 2,000 years to circulate the planet. The film is being released Saturday to coincide with Environment Day. The ministry will carry out a survey to see changes in people's mind-set before and after watching the movie. The unprecedented ministry move is testimony to its isolation and the lack of support it gets from the government regarding its policy on fighting global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise despite the fact that to comply with the Kyoto protocol, Japan will have to cut emissions by 13.6 percent to achieve the goal of 6 percent below the 1990 level. ---sbs--- 3. Messenger - The City (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊPULSE; Pg. 13,Ê453 words,ÊCOLD SNAP DELIVERS CHILLS, THRILLS Copyright 2004 Nationwide News Pty Limited Ê Messenger - The City (Australia) June 2, 2004 Wednesday SECTION: PULSE; Pg. 13 LENGTH: 453 words HEADLINE: COLD SNAP DELIVERS CHILLS, THRILLS BODY: CINEMA THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. THREE STARSÊ (M) Greater Union City, Marion & Arndale, Hoyts Norwood, Tea Tree Plaza & Salisbury, Wallis Glenelg, Piccadilly, Noarlunga & Mt Barker, Odeon Star Semaphore THE storm warning is just in and it's not looking good for America or all of Europe for that matter. It seems the tides have turned and the big chill is on with baseballsize hail hitting Tokyo, a snap-freeze in Britain, it's snowing in New Dehli and a tidal wave swamps New York. Oh, and LA is ravaged by tornados. This isn't the weather reporters getting it wrong again, but the master of destruction and apocalypse movies writer/director Roland Emmerich. For his latest blockbuster, Emmerich has dispensed with the aliens of Independence Day and turns to Mother Nature to depict her imposing, unpredictable force. At a cost of $180 million the computer-generated images have to be seen on the big screen as the catastrophic global climate change ensues. The cheesy dialogue and thin storyline is another matter. Still, if this film starts people thinking more about the environment and ways to look after our planet, Emmerich's work is more than done. It must be said that he is not waving the American flag, but takes quite a few pot shots at the Bush Government for rejecting the Kyoto protocol aimed at reducing the threat of global warming. Climatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) has been studying the last ice age and he believes the Earth could be on the verge of a frosty change. His Scottish counterpart, Professor Rapson (Ian Holm) alerts Jack to a disturbing shift in the ocean currents. Suddenly the cold snap is not looking like it is hundreds of years away, but weeks. Jack tries to convince the politicians to evacuate cities, but no one will listen to his pleas to head south and storm the Mexican border. As the changing weather patterns start to be felt across the world, Jack becomes worried about his 17-year old son, Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal). Sam is on a school trip in New York, which seems to be right in the megastorm's path and he takes shelter, with a few others in the library. Luckily there are plenty of books to burn to keep warm. Jack is not going to let his boy become a popsicle and dons the thermal snowsuit setting out on a crazy mission to save his son. What we have here is a good old-fashioned disaster epic in the likes of The Poseidon Adventure. The powerful CG effects steal the show, but once the rampaging forces of nature subside in the last 20 minutes the action does become a bit icebound. Quaid puts in a solid, gritty performance and carries much of the film. MELISSA PHILLIPS Films are rated out of five stars. ---sbs--- 4. University Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊCOLUMN,Ê730 words,ÊIgnoring the warming signals,ÊBy Chuck Slothower, Oregon Daily Emerald; SOURCE: U. Oregon,ÊEUGENE, Ore. Copyright 2004 Oregon Daily Emerald via U-Wire University Wire June 2, 2004 Wednesday SECTION: COLUMN LENGTH: 730 words HEADLINE: Ignoring the warming signals BYLINE: By Chuck Slothower, Oregon Daily Emerald; SOURCE: U. Oregon DATELINE: EUGENE, Ore. BODY: American moviegoers spent an estimated $86 million over the weekend to watch Dennis Quaid battle the effects of global warming in "The Day After Tomorrow." The film has faced strong criticism for over-dramatizing the consequences of global warming, but most viewers understand that it's a work of fiction. Despite the fact-stretching, anything that brings global warming to the forefront of public conversation is a welcome development. Global warming may be the most under-addressed issue in contemporary politics. Global warming, as even President Bush admits, is real. A 2001 National Science Foundation study said "overwhelming odds" point to a rise in global temperatures of four to seven degrees over the next century. Such an increase would dwarf the less than one-degree rise in global temperatures during the 20th century. An increase that severe could cause flooding in coastal areas. This represents a potential disaster because 53 percent of the U.S. population resides in coastal areas, according to NASA. A dramatic increase in global temperature could also cause significant problems for national security, warns a frightening report commissioned by the Defense Department. In the event of a sudden shift in climate -- which has happened in the past -- border skirmishes, invasions and wars could break out over dwindling water and energy supplies, the report says. While the report imagines a worst-case scenario, it has garnered attention because of the source -- one doesn't usually equate the Pentagon with "the sky is falling" environmental scenarios -- and the Bush administration's head-in-the-sand approach to global warming. While the Bush administration may believe ignoring global warming means good politics, the attitude also makes for horrible policy. The tactic is clearly intentional, as revealed by a memorandum from the prominent Republican strategist Frank Luntz, which has received well-deserved and widespread publicity. In the memorandum, Luntz urged Republicans to continue questioning the scientific basis for global warming because, "Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly." The Bush administration's policy calls for endless study and inadequate action. President Bush, in a June 2001 speech, detailed how his Cabinet-level working group is "recommending a number of initial steps." He directed the secretary of commerce to "set priorities for additional investments in climate change research" and promised to "enhance partnerships in applied research." Of course, Bush doesn't call global warming by its name. It's "climate change," another suggestion from Luntz. "Global warming," Luntz feels, gives impressionable voters a negative connotation of rising temperatures. While Bush has called for reduced emissions, increased scientific funding and tax breaks for consumers who buy hybrid cars, his proposals fall far short of what the situation demands. Rather than recommending, setting priorities and enhancing partnerships in applied research, the president needs to immediately launch a major effort to combat global warming. A JFK-style send-a-man-to-the-moon-scale effort would demonstrate that the president takes global warming seriously. Don't hold your breath. Bush has treated global warming as a non-issue since he broke a campaign promise only two months after his inauguration to regulate carbon dioxide emissions at power plants. A Senate bill introduced by two notable moderates would take a significant step in the right direction. Senators John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., introduced the Climate Stewardship Act. The legislation would impose reasonable caps on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, requiring manufacturing, energy and transportation firms to cut emissions to their 2000 level by 2010. On Oct. 30, the Senate defeated the bill 55-43, but the surprisingly narrow margin raised hopes that politicians may soon gather the political will to deal with global warming earnestly. Americans produce more of the world's greenhouse gases than people of any other nation. A sweeping campaign could have the potential to significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We need to take immediate, significant steps to stem the rising temperatures. (C) 2003 Oregon Daily Emerald via U-WIRE ---sbs--- 5. University Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊCOLUMN,Ê747 words,ÊThe myth of global warming,ÊBy Mike Walters, The Battalion; SOURCE: Texas A&M U.,ÊCOLLEGE STATION, Texas Copyright 2004 The Battalion via U-Wire University Wire June 2, 2004 Wednesday SECTION: COLUMN LENGTH: 747 words HEADLINE: The myth of global warming BYLINE: By Mike Walters, The Battalion; SOURCE: Texas A&M U. DATELINE: COLLEGE STATION, Texas BODY: Hollywood is playing politics again -- this time it's not celebrities protesting a war or promoting their favorite charity, but actors dramatizing the myth of global warming through Roland Emmerich's summer action flick, "The Day After Tomorrow." In the movie, global warming alters ocean currents and triggers an ice age, causing bizarre and highly destructive weather to level major cities worldwide. Unlike most science-fiction flicks, however, the filmmakers actually believe that these horrors present a real-life threat. As co-screenwriter Jeffer Nachmanoff describes it, "It's a cautionary tale about what can happen if we continue to provoke Mother Nature." The film packages and sells what environmentalists have been preaching in schools and in public for decades: the idea that technological advances that prolong and enrich human life come at the cost of destroying the planet through global warming -- a suggested increase in worldwide temperatures caused by man-made greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. With the release of "The Day After Tomorrow," people and the media have a renewed interest in this topic. However, there seems to be a lack of hard evidence suggesting that the earth really is getting warmer, that such weather patterns are outside of the normal fluctuation ranges or that any of it is caused by human activity. This isn't just a stubborn denial by politicians or chemical plant owners. More than 17,000 scientists have signed the Oregon Institute Petition, which states that "there is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate." If this were a small misunderstanding, it wouldn't be a problem to clear up. However, an incredible amount of people believe in this. In a national survey of 1,000 adults conducted by the polling firm Global Strategy Group this year, 70 percent of Americans polled said they consider global warming to be a "very serious" or "somewhat serious" problem. And the media doesn't seem to be doing much to clear this matter up. John Houghton, a former member of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change described global warming as "a weapon of mass destruction" in the British newspaper, The Guardian. He further asserted that "The 1990s were probably the warmest decade in the past 1,000 years." At first glance, this seems to be a staggering statistic affirming a rise in global temperature, but it immediately draws the question: Why was it so warm 1,000 years ago? In 990, power plants, factories, chemical plants and SUVs didn't exist, so why would we assume that the temperature change was a natural occurrence back then yet believe it to be manmade now? Environmentalists such as Houghton point to 1,500 deaths last year in an Indian pre-monsoon heat wave where temperatures reached 120 degrees, 9 degrees above normal. Indeed, on "The Day After Tomorrow" Web site, such death tolls flash on the screen as if the bodies would make a person forget about actual evidence through an emotional appeal. But truth and evidence speak beyond the tragic loss of life -- in 2003, temperatures hit 127 degrees in Palm Springs, Calif., with no reported heat-related deaths. That's 7 degrees hotter and 1,500 less dead people. Like it or not, in this case the difference between life and death is living in the United States, with the benefit of the technology these environmentalists are accusing to be the world's doom. Karry Mullis, the 1993 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry once said, "Environmentalists predict that global warming is coming, and our emissions are to blame. They do that to keep us worried about our role in the whole thing. If we aren't worried and guilty, we might not pay their salaries. It's that simple." Hopefully most of those perpetuating the myth of global warming and the doom of our planet are guided by a genuine sense of protecting the beautiful planet we inhabit, and merely need to examine the wealth of facts to the contrary that are readily available on the Internet and in scientific journals. Hollywood and the media must face these facts and debunk this myth, so that another generation of Americans doesn't grow up trying to hinder economic and technological progress in fear of Roland Emmerich's vision of a judgment day that will never happen. (C) 2003 The Battalion via U-WIRE ---sbs--- 6. The Record (Bergen County, NJ),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê All Editions,ÊOPINION; Pg. L14,Ê326 words,ÊA global-warming comedy; 'Day After Tomorrow' won't heat up debate Copyright 2004 Bergen Record Corporation The Record (Bergen County, NJ) June 2, 2004 Wednesday All Editions SECTION: OPINION; Pg. L14 LENGTH: 326 words HEADLINE: A global-warming comedy; 'Day After Tomorrow' won't heat up debate BODY: This summer's epic disaster flick, "The Day After Tomorrow," arrived Memorial Day weekend with much ado over how its doomsday depiction of global warming would serve as the American public's wake-up call to the perils of drastic climate change. So out of control did the hype get last week that the liberal group MoveOn.Org called the flick "the movie the White House doesn't want you to see." Forget it. If the White House didn't want you to see this flick, it was probably trying to do you a favor. Unless you're a big fan of special effects or you enjoy worrying about the weather, "The Day After Tomorrow" is bound to be a $125 million letdown, so contrived as to be unintentionally hilarious at times. How's this for a plot: Global warming is melting the polar ice at such an alarming clip that it causes catastrophic disruptions in ocean currents, which in turn touch off tornadoes in Southern California, a blizzard in New Delhi, and a lethal hailstorm in Tokyo. But that's nothing but a drizzle compared to what hits New York City - a tidal wave, followed by a new Ice Age. For human interest, there's ace paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), who predicted the calamity and who drops everything to travel from Washington, D.C., to Manhattan in the middle of a monumentally lethal blizzard to rescue his teenage son (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his two classmates - including going the last 80 miles on foot. The notion may be patently ludicrous, but then that's what passes for plot in Hollywood these days. In the process, by using impossibly rapid climate change as a mere plot contrivance, it trivializes an important issue. Maybe audiences will discuss the problem as they drive home in their air-conditioned vehicles. But yesterday's hailstorm and tornado notwithstanding, it's more likely that they'll be talking about the breathtaking special effects and chuckling over that inane plot. * A grimmer perspective on global warming appears on facing page. ---sbs--- 7. Canberra Times (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊPg. 17,Ê1090 words,ÊGlobal warming isn't just drought: it's raining more Copyright 2004 The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Limited Ê Canberra Times (Australia) June 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition SECTION: A; Pg. 17 LENGTH: 1090 words HEADLINE: Global warming isn't just drought: it's raining more BODY: Y OU HAVE probably heard the one about Canberra's being out of touch with what's happening in the real world. "Yah! Boo! Sucks!" you may say but, as the big dry continues in the national capital,the world around us is getting wetter. As light fills our cloudless winter skies, the world around us is getting cloudier and darker. As our trees and shrubs give up the ghost, in the rest of the world their cousins are growing betterthan ever."Climate change is real. It is already occurring. It will continue."Sobegins a communique issued last month by about 100 scientists who gathered on the south coast for the annual Science Meeting of the CooperativeResearch Centre for Greenhouse Accounting. It notes that atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide have increased by 30 per cent since the industrial revolution, methanehas doubled and nitrous oxide increased by 15 per cent. It says these rising levels of greenhouse gases - with ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere and air pollution by microscopic particles - have caused average global temperatures to increase and are altering rainfall patterns, evaporation rates and the growth rates of plants."The global water cycle has changed in response to greenhouse emissions," the communique says."Rainfall, on average, is increasing (though decreasing in some regions in Australia and elsewhere). Contrary to widespread expectations, potential evaporation from the soil and land-based water bodies like lakes is decreasing in most places. This is because the world is cloudier than it used to be. Clouds disperse sunlight, so less radiation from the sun is reaching the earth's surface directly. "As the world warms it is, on average, getting wetter. This may favour long-lived, woody plants like trees over shorter-lived plants, thereby changing habitats, ecosystems, biodiversityand the flows of greenhouse gases. Our scientists have established that the increased cloudiness of the world allows plants to photosynthesisemore effectively." The knowledge of evaporationrates and sunlight come from two very basic instruments - shallow pans of water and black plates covered with glass domes. Pan evaporationdata has been collected at many sites around the world for several decades. Placed in full sun and covered with wire to prevent birds' sneaking a drink, these pans have been losing an average of about 3mm less water to evaporation every year since the middle of last century. This trend is generallyconsistent, regardless of the local climate. In Alice Springs, total annual evaporationfrom a pan may be about three metres, about half that in Sydney and less again in colder climates but all have recorded about 3mm a year reduction in evaporation over 1950-90.Sunlight levels are measured by radiometers, which consist of a black plate under a glass dome. The black plate heats up as it absorbs the sun's energy, so a plot of the daily temperaturevariations provides a measure of the amount of sunlight that has shone on it.The global downward trend in sunlight levels since the 1950s has been consistent with the trend in evaporation, even in Antarctica. Research by the CRC found that sunlight levels across the northern hemispheredeclined by 10-20 per cent during 1950-90, led by places like Hong Kong, which recorded a 37 per cent decline. The New York Times reported last month that other researchers had estimated the over-all global reduction in sunlight over land areas to be as high as 10 per cent over that period. Results in the southern hemisphere, where air pollutionis generally less than in the heavily populated and industrialised north, are slowing this "global dimming" trend. This mix of change, driven mostly by steadily increasing volumes of fossil fuel emissions, is advantageous to many kinds of plants. A wetter environment, higher levels of carbon dioxide (which plants use for photosynthesis) and less direct sunlight generally enable plants to store and use energy over a longer period of time. "It has been widely observed across the world that trees and shrubs are increasing in grasslands," the communique says."The precise cause has not yet been established but changed fire regimes, grazing pressures, climate change, natural climate variability, higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, more-effective photosynthesis and the changed global water cycle must be involved."In Australia this trend is manifest in increasing density of vegetation and changes in plant species in specific landscapes. In western NSW and Queensland, "woody weeds" are colonising grasslands. In north Queensland,rainforests are expandingand eucalypt forests retreating. These changes are being noticed now but they are partly a result of the 1970s' being a wetter decade than average across eastern Australia,a spike that fits the global trend to wetter weather. "I don't think the Australian scientific community has talked about some of the impacts of climate change occurring now," the director of the Greenhouse Accounting CRC, Dr Chris Mitchell, said this week. He characterises the communique as "tentative" because of the many factors at play and the fact that atmospheric and meteorologicalscience is finding as many questions as answers about climate change. "We are saying that we are seeing a whole series of changes," he said."It's very hard to say that these changes are only occurringbecause of purely local effects; it does seem that they are related to climate change in all its complexity."Because of this complexity and our patchy understanding of it, there is little certainty. As a warmer world becomes a cloudier world, less sunlight is hitting the surface, actually providing a cooling influence; and although many plants are prospering in the changing climaticcircumstances, the CRC's research has found that although unstressed plants and those deprived of sufficient water have grown faster in high-carbon-dioxide environments, plants suffering other stresses that are common in Australia have not benefited or have fared worse as carbon dioxide levels increase. In any trend there are exceptions. The future scenarios generated by CSIRO'sclimate models show a tendency for increased rainfall across most of Australia as global warming continues but they foresee drier times ahead in the south-west of the continent,parts of the south-east and Queensland. Canberra's recent dry, sunny weather fits this scenario, proving that it is not out of touch with the rest of the world, but inextricably bound to it.www.greenhouse.crc.org.au ---sbs--- 8. Windsor Star (Ontario),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊEditorial; Pg. A8,Ê795 words,ÊPredictions of future climate are plagued,ÊKenneth Green Copyright 2004 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All Rights Reserved Ê Windsor Star (Ontario) June 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition SECTION: Editorial; Pg. A8 LENGTH: 795 words HEADLINE: Predictions of future climate are plagued SOURCE: Special to The Windsor Star BYLINE: Kenneth Green BODY: This past weekend, a new Hollywood blockbuster unleashed a perfect storm of propagandistic gyrations. Like The China Syndrome and Waterworld, The Day After Tomorrow is an apocalyptic tale of environmental self-destruction. This time though, it's not a nuclear reactor or melting ice caps, it's a sudden ice age -- and we mean like a few days worth of sudden -- caused by human greenhouse gas emissions that trigger the shutdown of a major oceanic current that distributes heat around the globe. Many scientists and activists have criticized the movie for its scientific inaccuracy. University of Virginia climatologist Patrick Michaels suggests that the science is so poor in The Day After Tomorrow that it's likely to trigger a "global stupid storm." Events in the movie, Michaels observes, are "physically impossible." In a letter to Science magazine, Columbia University climatologist Wallace Broecker observes that such sudden cooling as portrayed in the movie, and in an earlier Pentagon report is quite unlikely: "there is no reason to believe the impacts (shown in the movie) could occur in a mere decade, nor would they be so awesome." Andrew Weaver, of the University of Victoria wrote, "it is safe to say that global warming will not lead to the onset of a new ice age." But the real problem isn't the inaccuracy of the movie -- after all, it's just a movie -- the problem is in the inaccuracy of the science behind the entire endeavour of understanding climate change. The sad reality, despite billions of dollars spent digging into the science of climatology, and chasing the wild goose of Kyoto, is that nobody knows how much the Earth is likely to warm, where it will warm, where it will cool, or what the impacts of that warming or cooling might be. That's because, for want of decent long-term data, much of climate-change science is the product of overly simplistic models of how the climate works, paired up with even more simplistic assumptions about what human society will be like in the future. Let's put things in perspective. We have about 150 years of surface temperature recordings, and only about 25 years of satellite records. Neither data set was gathered with forethought toward trying to observe the impacts of human activity on the climate. And the records are imperfect. Some were taken with inaccurate hand-painted thermometers that moved around a lot. Some were taken in the sun, some in the shade, some over land, some over water, some at higher altitudes, some at lower altitudes, some in high solar-activity years, and some in low-solar activity years, some on tall boats in high wind, some on low boats in low wind, the list of data problems is endless. But even if we assume we've adjusted for all that, how much information is really in 150 years of data about Earth's four billion years of post-formation climate? Well, if you lived to be 100, you could derive as much information about your average pulse rate over your entire life by measuring your heartbeat every few seconds for ... two minutes. That's right, two whole minutes. You see, two minutes out of the 53 million minutes of your 100-year life is the equivalent of 150 years of temperature readings out of Earth's four-billion-year history. So, what does it mean that the last 10 have been warmer than average compared to the last 150? Nobody knows. What would it mean if your pulse was a teeny bit faster than average for the last few seconds in your two-minute pulse experiment? The lack of meaningful, accurate, long-term data on global and regional temperatures leaves us dependent for understanding on computerized models of the climate. But such models are plagued by a host of problems such as incomplete understanding of many physical climate processes, dubious assumptions about the reaction of climate systems to either greenhouse gas levels or additional warming, still more dubious assumptions about the future of greenhouse gas emissions, technological development, world economic growth, and more. Richard Lindzen, a respected meteorologist with MIT, finds so little merit in modelled predictions of future climate that he has likened them to "children's exercises." It's time that climate alarmists stopped trying to abuse the science of climate change to scare up a global energy-rationing scheme that offers little gain, for a lot of pain. The reality is the Day After Tomorrow is more likely to be just like every other day, and not some Made-in-Hollywood Armageddon. Dr. Kenneth Green directs the Centre for Studies in Risk, Regulation and Environment at The Fraser Institute, and is the author of Global Warming: Understanding the debate, a textbook for middle- and high-school students published by Enslow Publishers. ---sbs--- 9. UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Lancashire,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê155 words,ÊWorld's future is a real issue Copyright 2004 NewsQuest Media Group Limited Ê UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Lancashire June 2, 2004 LENGTH: 155 words HEADLINE: World's future is a real issue BODY: THE latest Hollywood blockbuster showing at every local cinema features the menace of global warming. Perhaps it will wake up even President Bush to the idea that action is needed. The story may be fiction but climate change is real and human activity is causing it. The Russians have just confirmed that they will ratify the Kyoto Protocol providing the extra votes needed to bring it into force. This is a first step towards long overdue international action and it is possible only because the European Union battled to keep the Kyoto agreement alive when the USA reneged on the deal. The real issue in the European elections is not the sovereignty of any one nation but the future of our world. This is the chance to make our voices heard. We need urgent action to prevent today's fiction from becoming tomorrow's horror story. Katherine Morris North West Environment Campaigner ---sbs--- 10. National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing (Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday National Edition,ÊFinancial Post: Comment; Peter Foster; Pg. FP19,Ê998 words,ÊThe roots of enviro-hysteria,ÊPeter Foster Copyright 2004 National Post, All Rights Reserved Ê National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing (Canada) June 2, 2004 Wednesday National Edition SECTION: Financial Post: Comment; Peter Foster; Pg. FP19 LENGTH: 998 words HEADLINE: The roots of enviro-hysteria SOURCE: Financial Post BYLINE: Peter Foster BODY: Some of the environmentally concerned are not happy with The Day After Tomorrow. They worry that the Mother of all Disaster Movies, in which the Earth's climate shifts into a new Ice Age over a long weekend, will feed skepticism about global warming. As an antidote, the mediasphere is about to be hit with a shower of new and recycled disaster books. I learned all this in last Sunday's New York Times. Recently, we have been treated to yet another of the Times's bouts of editorial soul-searching, this time over its Iraq coverage. But while The Times can fret about nuances in Middle East news, it obviously does not blush at printing environmental alarmism as irrefutable fact. According to Verlyn Klinkenborg, an editorial writer at the Times who reviewed the forthcoming deluge, "We are well past the threshold of inevitable change and on the cusp of climate destabilization." Put it this way. Which of the Times's reports is more plausible: that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, or that we are on the brink of massive climate destabilization? Nor does Mr. Klinkenborg express the slightest trace of skepticism toward the books he reviews, even though they are penned by a group of UN time-servers, cranks and professional alarmists. Can it be that The Limits to Growth, one of the wrongest books of all time, is to be updated yet again? The 1972 tome claimed -- among myriad ominous predictions -- that we would run out of gold in 1981, mercury in 1985 and zinc in 1990. In 1992, it was revised to suggest that, OK, we were a little out, but now we know when the needles will go to empty. And can we really treat seriously yet another Jeremiad from Paul Ehrlich, the man who gave us that 1968 mega-bestseller, The Population Bomb? That book warned of global famine and megadeath well before the last century was out. It should have been called The Prediction Bomb. Instead of pointing to these authors' dubious track records, Mr. Klinkenborg suggests any doom-doubters are suitable cases for treatment. They are merely "in denial," or part of a conspiracy. "Short-term self-interest is a powerful buffer against reality," he writes. "So is the lobbying of the fossil fuel industries and the complacency of an administration that lives in thrall to them." I would humbly suggest it is Mr. K and his ilk who might spend a little time on the couch. Environmental alarmism/hysteria is a fascinating psychological phenomenon. It bears many traces of ancient myth and similarities to religious mania. It also has close ties with that most powerful, and delusive, of all political religions: socialism. Many Biblical myths have a powerful environmental element: the rain of fire and brimstone that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah; the plagues of Egypt; Noah's Ark. Indeed, the story of The Flood bears remarkably similarity to current concerns about Climate Change. Bad behaviour (in the form of crass materialism and attendant greenhouse gas emissions) will lead to an inundation (caused by man-made global warming and a the melting of the ice caps) which requires an appointed custodian to preserve species (guarding "biodiversity" by fighting economic growth/selfishness, and building policy arks such as Kyoto). Such myths in turn may have their roots in the evolved human mind, most of whose development occurred when the physical environment and the possibility of hunting "resources" to at least local extinction were very real concerns. As for the religious element, there is certainly a good deal of primitive "animism" in worries about "damaging Mother Earth," as if landfills were somehow equivalent to leaving a swab in a surgical patient. Concerns based on alleged "greed" and the notion that developed nations consume more than their "fair share" of resources are examples of hunter-gatherer economics, which lie behind the mushy but appealing concept of "sustainability." While allegedly based on a sophisticated concern for future generations, sustainability is likely rooted in fears of either missing out on your chunk of carcass and/or hunting-to-extinction. It betrays no comprehension of the processes whereby property rights, human ingenuity and extensive markets combine to perform the seeming miracle of not merely increasing the supply of "non-renewable" resources, but constantly finding new and better resources and methods. That's because hunter-gatherers had slim property rights, little ingenuity, and absolutely no extensive markets. That's why the fundamentals of modern economics are counterintuitive and/or unacceptable to most minds, including those of many popular economists. Meanwhile another key psychological attraction of environmental activism is its political potential: the wealth and influence that flows to those who can successfully claim to be speaking for that tyrannical but voiceless majority "The Environment." Mr. Klinkenborg is not shy of speaking up. What we need, he says, is "a new Manhattan Project to develop low-impact energy technology and a revolutionary commitment to global equity." But I think Al Gore already said that. So did Maurice Strong. In fact, so did pretty much everybody who shares the primitive belief that all the tribe really needs is a strong leader with a clear vision to guide us towards a Golden Age where our only task will be to do what we are told. And the first commandment shall be "consume less." Perhaps the most significant psychological characteristic of doomsters is their unshakeable faith and their fundamental rejection of science. If something they predicted didn't happen, that simply means it is going to happen moreso in the future. The more wrong they have been in the past, the more right they will be from now on. And they are clad in the armour of righteousness. We have, says Mr. Klinkenborg, to "change our habits of consumption." We must eschew "custom, ignorance, sloth, greed and fear." Or The Wrath of the Environmental Almighty will be upon us. ---sbs--- 11. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê2:21 PM Eastern Time,ÊCommentary,Ê898 words Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle 2:21 PM Eastern Time SECTION: Commentary LENGTH: 898 words BODY: Editorial Rdp. Ê By The Associated Press Ê Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad: Ê May 28: Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, on planned terrorist attacks: Bad as the Iraq war has been, at least this country has had no major terrorist attacks since 9/11. But Tuesday brought two pieces of bad news. Government officials said they think terrorists are planning a major attack this summer and are already deployed here. Meanwhile, a respected British-based think tank offered its guess that al-Qaida still has 18,000 terrorists scattered around the world. The 340-page survey rejects completely the Bush notion that Iraq is the front line of the war against terror. The Bush administration has, of course, rejected the institute's criticism of the Iraq war. But, given the administration's own need to keep pressing the anti-terrorist campaign in this country to keep funding it, to keep warning people, the White House cannot convincingly argue that the situation is much better than the institute suggests, a year after the fall of Saddam. --- May 28: The Herald, Rock Hill, S.C., on John Kerry's decision to accept the Democratic nomination: John Kerry's trial balloon about delaying his nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate apparently popped. ... Delaying the nomination would have been a logical tactic. Would Democrats really care if Kerry failed to utter the words "... and I accept the nomination," especially if it helped level the playing field? Well, maybe. Some Democrats reportedly thought such a move would appear too calculated and might backfire. Officials in Boston, where the convention will be held, were miffed. And the Republicans were beginning to make hay with the idea, saying only Kerry could be both for the nomination and against it. So, on Wednesday, Kerry announced that he would, indeed, accept the nomination when offered in Beantown. "Boston is the place where America's freedom began, and it's where I want the journey to the Democratic nomination to be completed," Kerry said in a prepared statement. Voters might well ask themselves whether any of this matters one way or the other. The nominating conventions, once events of high political drama where real battles for the nomination took place, now are little more than glorified campaign commercials for the respective candidates. We would advise Kerry to hold off on announcing who his running mate will be. That's about the only suspense left in the process. --- May 31 The Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, N.Y., on global warming: Perhaps a movie threatening tsunamis, wind storms, grapefruit-sized hailstones, flash freezings and a flooded Manhattan can get people to pay attention to an environmental threat that's too often ignored. At least that's what environmentalists are hoping after last week's opening of "The Day After Tomorrow." This film offers a catastrophic picture of man-made global climate change. Granted, real-life global warming will look nothing like this movie, in which the Earth's temperature rises in a matter of days. In fact, the Earth's temperature is rising about one degree per year. But the effects, including rising oceans and melting ice caps, are building up. They will eventually affect plant, animal and human life. Unfortunately, the Bush administration's allegiance to nonrenewable energy industries is undermining efforts to curb global warming. That shortsighted attitude should change. Cleaner energy sources, which do not emit gases that are increasing the Earth's temperature, deserve greater support. ... We may never live to see the effects of global warming. But preserving the Earth for our descendants should still matter. --- May 28 The Bismarck (N.D.) Tribune, on the Sakakawea coin: Sakakawea is in danger of getting bumped off the U.S. dollar coin. A U.S. House subcommittee has approved replacing her, beginning in 2006, with the U.S. presidents, in rotation, beginning with George Washington - four to a year, until the series is exhausted, in 2016. Then, 10 years after the end of the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, Sakakawea would come back - or so they say now. Probably, though, we will have seen the last of her. If you can't justify Sakakawea during the bicentennial, it's hard to do so afterward. Some in Congress are bound and determined that Americans will adopt the dollar coin, thereby saving Washington the higher replacement costs of the bill. But they are afraid to risk the wrath of the electorate by pulling the bill, knowing the coin's dirty little secret: Americans don't want it, except as a curiosity piece in our (occasional) national coin collection. ... The dollar coin's problem probably begins with its cumbersomeness: Who wants as many of the coins pulling on his pants pocket - or, worse, spilling out - as he now has dollar bills in his billfold? ... Of all the things that have stood in the way of the success of a dollar coin, not a single one can be attributed to Sakakawea. Her image should remain on the handsome gold coin, and Washington should get after its merchandising and distribution problems. That will give us the happy outcome sought by Congress, but leave Sakakawea to lend her special presence, as intended, to the Lewis and Clark years. --- MORE ---sbs--- 12. Belfast News Letter (Northern Ireland),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê1st Edition; BUSINESS; Pg. 27,Ê469 words,ÊPLEA TO MAXIMISE GREEN ENERGY Copyright 2004 Century Newspapers Limited Ê Belfast News Letter (Northern Ireland) June 2, 2004, Wednesday SECTION: 1st Edition; BUSINESS; Pg. 27 LENGTH: 469 words HEADLINE: PLEA TO MAXIMISE GREEN ENERGY BODY: MORE than 100 jobs could be created and 2.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide saved if Northern Ireland maximised its renewable energy resources, it was claimed yesterday. The figures were revealed in a major study of renewable energy by Action Renewables, a programme established by the Department of Enterprise and Viridian. Action Renewables director Andy McCrea said the study identified a total of 1134 Megawatts of potential renewable energy generating capacity. "If this was to be installed it would result in a saving of over 2.5million tonnes in carbon dioxide and in the process could create 110 jobs," he added. Enterprise Minister Barry Gardiner said the survey highlighted the resources currently available in Northern Ireland on a county-by-county basis. "This information will be invaluable to potential developers, community groups, local authorities and individuals who want to explore the opportunity for sustainable energy developments in their region," he added. Mr Gardiner was speaking as he launched a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of developing and using the Province's renewable energy resources. An Action Awareness television advertising campaign is starting today to demonstrate the link between increasing electricity consumption and global warming. The Minister said: "The current blockbuster film The Day After Tomorrow offers a dramatic view of the possible effects of climate change, but the reality is that we must do everything possible to reduce carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to climate change." * Meanwhile, it has emerged that Northern Ireland's wealthiest businessman is extending his interests in green energy by becoming a significant shareholder in Airtricity. Sean Quinn, the Fermanagh entrepreneur voted the richest man in the Province in the Sunday Times Rich List 2004 with a fortune of pounds 771m, is one of a number of new and existing investors to stake a total of 80 million euro in the all-Ireland renewable energy company. As a result Airtricity will now be valued in excess of 250 million euro, representing a 29 per cent increase in share value from the last private placement completed by the company in June 2003. The Quinn Group already has wind farm assets in the Republic, as well as operations in cement and glass manufacturing, general insurance, hotels and property. Commenting on the deal, Mr Quinn said: "We are very optimistic about the long-term future of the renewable energy industry and this underpins our investment in Airtricity which is one of the leading players in Europe." Airtiricty said NTR (National Toll Roads) would maintain its 51 per cent stake in the company, while the other existing shareholders have been invited to participate in the process. ---sbs--- 13. The Herald (Glasgow),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊPg. 6,Ê657 words,ÊChemicals are 'stopping brain development in children',ÊRob Crilly Environment Correspondent Copyright 2004 Scottish Media Newspapers Limited Ê The Herald (Glasgow) June 2, 2004 SECTION: Pg. 6 LENGTH: 657 words HEADLINE: Chemicals are 'stopping brain development in children' BYLINE: Rob Crilly Environment Correspondent BODY: A COCKTAIL of man-made chemicals in everyday objects is preventing children's brains from developing properly, environmentalists warn today. The toxic effect from items as mundane as videos, television sets, computers, soft furnishings, car seats and furniture could be harmful to children's intelligence and co-ordination, according to the WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature. Its report, Compromising Our Children, brings together the latest studies on the impact of man-made chemicals and has led to calls for greater safety information. Poorer memories, reduced visual recognition, less well developed movement skills and lower IQ scores have all been recorded in the EU as the result of the phenomenon, the WWF said. The evidence is disputed by the chemicals industry, which says new and existing products are already subjected to a strict licensing regime. However, the WWF has published its report amid growing concern about the role chemicals play in triggering increasingly common disabilities, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. As well as brominated flame-retardant chemicals in everyday objects, danger also lurks from contaminates such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which leak from old industrial transformers, and from some building materials. Dioxins emitted by power stations and other factories and open burning of some plastic wastes are another threat. Many of these chemicals are turning up in some of the world's most pristine environments. Researchers have detected flame retardants in trout caught on the Balmoral estate, and yesterday it emerged that similar chemicals had been isolated from polar bears and birds in the Arctic. Helen McDade, campaigns officer for WWF Scotland, said children were being brought up in a chemical experiment. "It seems unbelievable that although science has shown that chemicals are affecting children's mental abilities and their ability to make sense of their world, we are still missing vital safety data on most chemicals in use today," she said. "Even when studies suggest some chemicals can affect brain development, swift action is not taken." "In effect, we are all living in a global chemical experiment of which we don't know the outcome," said Gwynne Lyons, WWF toxics adviser. "Our children are our future - and our future is under threat." Meanwhile, a report published yesterday claims that growing energy use and rising waste show that European countries are failing to meet their commitments to tackle global warming. In its annual snapshot of the state of the region, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has delivered a damning verdict on attempts to halt man-made climate change. It says there is growing evidence that global warming is taking hold, with glaciers retreating and marine species being displaced. The report says the number of weather disasters in Europe during the 1990s was double that of the previous decade. Jacqueline McGlade, the agency's executive director, said: "Such figures suggest that managing Europe's natural resources is increasingly important for ensuring the viability of Europe's economic and social capital." The Signals 2004 report covers 31 countries - the 25 EU states plus Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Although the UK is forecast to meet its Kyoto limits on emissions of greenhouse gases, overall the 15 established EU nations will miss the targets. Transport is singled out as the biggest single culprit. Environmentalists said the report was timely, coming as it did a week ahead of the European elections. Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "It is now time for the public to challenge their candidates to declare what they will do to reverse the environmental damage taking place not just here in Scotland, but across the whole of Europe." ---sbs--- 15. London Free Press (Ontario, Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊOPINION PAGES; Pg. A10Our view,Ê402 words,ÊSADDLE UP FOR BICYCLE FEST Copyright 2004 Sun Media Corporation Ê London Free Press (Ontario, Canada) June 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition SECTION: OPINION PAGES; Pg. A10Our view LENGTH: 402 words HEADLINE: SADDLE UP FOR BICYCLE FEST BODY: The aim of the London Bicycle Festival, now in full gear, is to coax people off their couches -- and out of their cars -- to travel in ways that are beneficial to the environment and to themselves. There's nothing not to like about this . . . except perhaps that it requires effort. But every reward in life takes some effort. The week of promotion and events, together with the National Commuter Challenge, urges people to bicycle, walk, in-line skate, take a bus or car-pool instead of driving. It's serious stuff. As quoted by columnist Gwynne Dyer this week, leading scientist James Lovelock said: "Unless we stop now, we will really doom the lives of our descendants. If we just go on for another 40 or 50 years faffing around, they'll have no chance at all, it'll be back to the Stone Age. There'll be people around still. But civilization will go." The slowly developing crisis of global warming isn't going to go away. If we hope to avert it, sooner or later we will have to wake up to the reality and take action -- all of us. And if it isn't sooner, it may be too late. "Think globally, act locally," environmentalists urge. It's debatable whether society has the esprit de corps, the sense of common purpose for common good, to pull this off. The answer to that dilemma can be resolved by only one person -- you -- one individual at a time. Concerned about safety on the road? London has a network of bicycle paths. (Visit www.city. london.on.ca/Mapphoto/bikepage.htm for a map. Or in about three weeks, get a printed copy at city hall, libraries and bike shops.) Or, take the bus. Besides local ventures and international ones, such as the Kyoto Protocol, which is only a bare beginning in confronting the crisis, we need to think about how we plan our communities. By building commercial centres near residences, instead of at malls and plazas designed mainly around motor transport, communities would help both the environment and fitness. A study by University of British Columbia researcher Larry Frank found "the average white male living in a community lined with shops and other businesses is expected to weigh 10 pounds less than a man living in a residential-only subdivision." There are many fronts to the emerging war for the environment. And there is no way of telling now how well civilization will survive. The only way to a certain result is by doing nothing. ---sbs--- 16. The Japan Times,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê785 words,Ê Insatiable appetite for destruction 17. The Times Union (Albany, NY),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊTHREE STAR EDITION,ÊPg. A9,Ê724 words,ÊMovie aside, global warming must be halted By ADAM MARKHAM and CHRISTINE VANDERLAN 18. The Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons (R),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê927 words,ÊBad Science-- Bad Movie 19. Japan Economic Newswire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊINTERNATIONAL NEWS,Ê232 words,ÊGov't to financially help convenience stores fight global warming,ÊTOKYO, June 2 20. Detroit Free Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊCOMMENTARY,Ê K2889,Ê317 words,ÊMovie is over the top, but solutions to global warming are needed 21. The Washington Times,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, Final Edition,ÊLETTERS; Pg. A16,Ê354 words,Ê'Day After' gets it wrong, and right,ÊTHE WASHINGTON TIMES 22. Newcastle Herald (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNews; Pg. 1,Ê570 words,ÊHeat Is On,ÊBy Paul Maguire 23. Newcastle Herald (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNews; Pg. 4,Ê232 words,ÊFarmer Puts His Faith In Nature,ÊBy Paul Maguire 24. Canberra Times (Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊPg. 22,Ê526 words,ÊReliable sun not as constant as it seems 25. Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊHIT; Pg. I16,Ê1886 words,Êmovies reviews,ÊLEIGH PAATSCH 26. University Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊEDITORIAL,Ê404 words,ÊA home for politics in Tinseltown,ÊStaff Editorial, The BG News; SOURCE: Bowling Green State U.,ÊBOWLING GREEN, Ohio 27. UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Wiltshire,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê492 words,ÊHow to combat the summertime blues 28. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊFINANCE; Pg. 50,Ê149 words,ÊDisaster film good for News,ÊLIZA KAPELLE 29. South China Morning Post,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊNews; Pg. 3,Ê415 words,ÊStudents sweat out 'no air-con' day 30. South China Morning Post,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊNEWS; Pg. 3,Ê408 words,ÊStudents sweat out 'no air-con' day,ÊElaine Wu 31. South China Morning Post,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊNEWS; Pg. 3,Ê408 words,ÊStudents sweat out 'no air-con' day,ÊElaine Wu 32. Northern District Times (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê186 words,ÊEpic suited to the big screen 33. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê9:44 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê144 words,ÊDennis Quaid has warming of the heart with marriage proposal,ÊLOS ANGELES 34. Newsday (New York),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê ALL EDITIONS,ÊPART II; Pg. B07,Ê403 words,ÊIMPULSE; YOUR REVIEWS: 'THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW'; Just your average disaster,ÊJacqueline Naughton, Scott Kelson, Jeremy Freed, Melissa Elliott, David Pugliese, Linda Harel 35. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê9:36 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê145 words,ÊDennis Quaid has warming of the heart with marriage proposal,ÊLOS ANGELES 36. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê9:36 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê145 words,ÊDennis Quaid has warming of the heart with marriage proposal,ÊLOS ANGELES 37. The Miami Herald,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊENTERTAINMENT NEWS,Ê K3136,Ê613 words,ÊEnd of the world's fun, but the morning after's a drag,ÊBy Connie Ogle 38. The Independent (London),ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,ÊFirst Edition; COMMENT; Pg. 33,Ê214 words,ÊLETTER: FUSION ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUELS,ÊEDMUND NANKIVELL 39. National Post (Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday National Edition,ÊArts & Life; Pg. AL3,Ê301 words,ÊIf Madonna is Madge, what do we call Morrissey?: Pop Quiz 40. National Post (Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday All but Toronto Edition,ÊArts & Life; Pg. B3,Ê301 words,ÊIf Madonna is Madge, what do we call Morrissey?: Pop Quiz 41. The Australian,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday All-round Country Edition,ÊFEATURES; Prime Space / PrimeSpace / Property / Real Estate; Pg. 43,Ê1186 words,ÊCity limits: how the best-laid plans go awry,ÊBernard Lane 42. Australian Financial Review,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNews; International News; Pg. 10,Ê473 words,ÊShrek Takings Ogre Well For Profit,ÊSean Aylmer New York With Wires 43. Detroit Free Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊENTERTAINMENT NEWS,Ê K3123,Ê792 words,Ê'Tomorrow': The end of the world, global warming-style,ÊBy Terry Lawson 44. The Independent (London),ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,ÊFirst Edition; NEWS; Pg. 7,Ê192 words,ÊGREENHOUSE GAS CRISIS, 55 MILLION YEARS AGO,ÊSTEVE CONNOR SCIENCE EDITOR 45. The Guardian (London) - Final Edition,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Society Pages, Pg. 12,Ê419 words,ÊSociety: Environment: Eco Sounding,ÊPaul Brown 46. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Society Pages, Pg. 12,Ê422 words,ÊEco Sounding 47. The Times (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFeatures; 20,Ê651 words,Ê I protest: the price of petrol should be steeper,ÊRoss Clark 48. Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊTHE GUIDE; Pg. 27,Ê161 words,ÊDes Partridge 49. New Straits Times (Malaysia),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊBooks; Pg. 7,Ê728 words,ÊJune books,ÊReviewed by U-En Ng 50. The Independent (London),ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,ÊFirst Edition; COMMENT; Pg. 33,Ê164 words,ÊLETTER: FUSION ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUELS,ÊBRIDGET BAILLIE 51. The Independent (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; COMMENT; Pg. 32,Ê215 words,ÊLETTER: THE GREEN FUTURE BEGINS AT HOME,ÊJAMES GORDON 52. The Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons (R),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê1098 words,Ê50 Ways To Leave Your Stressor: Stress Management for 2004 by Karen Susman(c) 53. The Cairns Post/The Cairns Sun (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊTIMEOUT; Pg. 19,Ê815 words,ÊSmashing disaster will give you chills 54. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFINAL EDITION,ÊPg. 01D,Ê714 words,ÊMix of sources needed to meet power demand; Speakers at energy forum push efficiency,ÊTHOMAS CONTENT tcontent@journalsentinel.com 55. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê USA Edition 1,ÊCOMPANIES ASIA-PACIFIC; Pg. 19,Ê605 words,Ê Japan puts climate change on the agenda: Japanese companies reveal that they are taking seriously the potential impact of environmental legislation, says David Pilling,ÊBy DAVID PILLING 56. Environment and Energy Daily,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊCLIMATE CHANGE/NUCLEAR WASTE,Ê825 words,ÊSENATE RETURNS TO DEFENSE, DELAYING CLIMATE DEBATE FOR NOW 57. Coventry Evening Telegraph,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊWarwickshire Edition; NEWS; Pg. 8,Ê315 words,ÊCLIMATE DISASTER MOVIE 'A WAKE-UP CALL' 58. Sydney Morning Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊSupplement; Pg. 3,Ê989 words,ÊMake A Difference,ÊStephanie Peatling 59. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,Ê USA Edition 2,ÊLEADER; Pg. 16,Ê489 words,Ê Day after tomorrow: Support for renewable energy must be cost-effective 60. The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊWestCoast News; Pg. B1,Ê1347 words,ÊFamilies park cars to go green: Ballard employee, Suzuki foundation staffer, jobless single mom take challenge,ÊNicholas Read 61. The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday FINAL C Edition,ÊWestCoast News; Pg. B1,Ê1346 words,ÊFamilies park cars to go green: Ballard employee, Suzuki foundation staffer, jobless single mom take challenge,ÊNicholas Read 62. Africa News,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê226 words,ÊSouth Africa; Warm Weather Only 'Slightly Unusual',ÊCape Argus 63. The Yearbook of Experts, Authorities and Spokespersons (R),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê1210 words,ÊJonathan Koomey, Author of Turning Numbers into Knowledge, named as an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow for 2004 64. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊLOCAL; Pg. 24,Ê96 words,ÊCompanies and climate 65. The Guardian (London) - Final Edition,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Society Pages, Pg. 3,Ê312 words,ÊSociety: Public Inquiry: BBC Wildlife presenter Steve Leonard wants the public to sign up to 10 green pledges on World Environment Day,ÊInterview by Mark Gould 66. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Society Pages, Pg. 3,Ê316 words,ÊPublic Inquiry: BBC Wildlife presenter Steve Leonard wants the public to sign up to 10 'green' pledges on World Environment Day,ÊInterview by Mark Gould 67. M2 PRESSWIRE,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê607 words,ÊWORLD BANKÊ ÊÊTurkey receives support for Watershed Rehabilitation,ÊWASHINGTON 68. Newcastle Herald (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNews; Leaders; Pg. 8,Ê482 words,ÊPM Misled, Yet Again 69. Birmingham Post,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; NEWS; Pg. 6,Ê491 words,ÊOIL CRISIS: FUEL PROTESTS ON THE HORIZON,ÊCAMPBELL DOCHERTY TRANSPORT REPORTER Spectre of 2000 as lorry drivers take to the road in protest 70. Australian Financial Review,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊBanking And Finance; Pg. 20,Ê395 words,ÊInstitutions Ask Business To Come Clean,ÊAnnabel Day 71. University Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFILM REVIEW,Ê316 words,Ê'Day After Tomorrow' a ho-hum disaster,ÊBy Sam Singh, Daily Texan; SOURCE: U. Texas-Austin,ÊAUSTIN, Texas 72. Hamilton Spectator (Ontario, Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊGO; Pg. G02,Ê1288 words,ÊHow much can you squeeze into a single day?; What a difference a day makes -- as long as your name is Jack Bauer,ÊJeff Mahoney 73. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê London Edition 1,ÊINTERNATIONAL ECONOMY & ASIA-PACIFIC; Pg. 11,Ê434 words,Ê Industry paying 'high cost' for greener energy,ÊBy VANESSA HOULDER and ANDREW TAYLOR,ÊLONDON 74. The New Zealand Herald,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNEWS; General,Ê381 words,ÊBlustery start predicted for the long weekend,ÊBy ANNE BESTON 75. Weekly Times (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊA GREEN COUNTRY; Pg. 59,Ê69 words,ÊTop-level talks 76. GAZETA MERCANTIL INVEST NEWS,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê141 words,ÊENERGY: CVRD wats to hedge in the carbon market,ÊSAO PAULO, 6/2/04 77. WASHINGTON INTERNET DAILY,ÊJUNE 3, 2004,ÊVol.5, No.107,Ê423 words,ÊMajoras Nomination For FTC Chmn. Sputters Over Gasoline Prices 78. Weekly Times (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊA GREEN COUNTRY; Pg. 52,Ê322 words,ÊSeas suffer from our throw-away mentality 79. Preston Leader (Australia),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNEWS; Pg. 11,Ê398 words,ÊTips for residents on; helping environment 80. The Independent (London),ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,ÊFirst Edition; COMMENT; Pg. 33,Ê226 words,ÊLETTER: FUSION ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUELS,ÊPROFESSOR BRIAN JOSEPHSON 81. Sydney Morning Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊSupplement; Pg. 8,Ê1315 words,ÊDrivers Of Change,ÊBob Jennings 82. Ottawa Citizen,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊFederal Election 2004; Pg. A9,Ê391 words,ÊBusinesses urge parties to put Canada on fiscal diet: Chamber of Commerce wants next government to cut all income taxes,ÊEric Beauchesne 83. Edmonton Journal (Alberta),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊNews; Briefs; Pg. A6,Ê105 words,ÊChamber of Commerce posits election agenda,ÊOTTAWA ---sbs--- nuclear - 125 Documents 7. The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê513 words,ÊIAEA to cut reactor checks within Japan Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun Ê The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) June 2, 2004 Wednesday SECTION: Pg. 1 LENGTH: 513 words HEADLINE: IAEA to cut reactor checks within Japan SOURCE: Yomiuri BODY: Giving a positive evaluation to Japan's commitment to comply with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency is poised to cut the frequency of inspections at the nation's 50 or so light-water nuclear reactors from quarterly to once a year, it was learned Tuesday. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has approved the transparency of the country's nuclear development for peaceful purposes through its compliance with the IAEA's Additional Protocol since its ratification in 1999, according to sources. The voluntary protocol is designed to strengthen and expand existing IAEA safeguards for verifying that nonnuclear weapon signatories to the NPT only use nuclear materials and facilities for peaceful purposes. The IAEA is expected to officially confirm the reduction in inspections by summer at the earliest, the sources said. This more cost-efficient inspection scheme, known as the integrated safeguard system, has already been applied to research reactors operating in three countries, including Australia. However, it will be the first time for the IAEA to apply the system to commercial reactors. By streamlining inspections in Japan, the IAEA could utilize the saved labor and funds to monitor nuclear facilities in such countries as Iran, which the agency considers needs more thorough inspections to control nuclear nonproliferation. The IAEA's conventional inspections into nuclear power plants and related facilities are carried out in line with an agreement called the comprehensive safeguard system. The system is designed to verify whether NPT member countries are using nuclear facilities for peaceful purposes as declared. But because the system does not check undeclared nuclear development, the IAEA began discussing more stringent measures following the revelation of suspected nuclear arms development programs in North Korea and Iraq in the 1990s. In 1993, the IAEA adopted the Additional Protocol, which enables inspectors to carry out more intrusive inspections, including inspections without prior notice, into all nuclear facilities. Currently, 55 NPT member countries have signed the protocol. Japan ratified the protocol in 1999 and has given information regarding facilities housing 50 commercial reactors as well as about 5,000 facilities that include dining rooms and storehouses in nuclear-related complexes. The country also provided information that can be related to nuclear development, including data concerning companies manufacturing equipment used to enrich uranium. Meanwhile, the IAEA had pointed to what it said was as a problem in the way Japan calculated the amount of plutonium at nuclear facilities. The Education, Science and Technology Ministry provided detailed explanations to the IAEA, which later validated that there was no undeclared nuclear development program under way in Japan. The interval of the IAEA's current quarterly inspections was based on the fact that it takes three months to extract weapon-grade uranium from spent nuclear fuel at nuclear power plants. ---sbs--- 40. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê8:05 AM Eastern Time,ÊInternational News,Ê739 words,ÊIran largely welcomes IAEA report, optimistic nuclear dispute soon will be closed,ÊBy ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer,ÊTEHRAN, Iran Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle 8:05 AM Eastern Time SECTION: International News LENGTH: 739 words HEADLINE: Iran largely welcomes IAEA report, optimistic nuclear dispute soon will be closed BYLINE: By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: TEHRAN, Iran BODY: Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Wednesday a report by the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog signaled that the deep dispute over Tehran's nuclear program could soon be closed. "The report makes it clear that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful and there has been no diversion from the peaceful path," Hasan Rowhani told a news conference. "However, the report has some problems ... (it) has touched upon cases that it should not." The report, issued Tuesday by Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran has acknowledged importing parts for advanced centrifuges that can be used to enrich uranium. It credits Iran with more openness about its nuclear program but says the agency still has questions about nearly two decades of secret activities. The report also says Iran has continued production of centrifuge components at three workshops belonging to private companies despite its declaration it would suspend such activities. Iran said the companies continued production because they had not received adequate compensation for the termination of contracts, according to the report. The report was issued for the June 14 meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors, which has wrestled for more than a year over what to do about what the United States and its allies say is a weapons program. The IAEA report alleges Iran had tried to buy critical parts for advanced P-2 centrifuges that can be used for energy purposes or to enrich uranium to weapons grade. Rowhani acknowledged Iran has purchased parts that can be used for P-2 centrifuges, but played down the significance. "We told the IAEA that we didn't import P-2 centrifuge parts, except a magnet that can be used for production of both the less advanced P-1 or advanced P-2 centrifuges," Rowhani said. Iran has confirmed it has produced P-1 centrifuges, which are used for low-grade enrichment. Rowhani said Iran has been doing research for years on the advanced P-2 centrifuges, and has produced sample parts. "On P-2 centrifuges, we are at the stage of completing our research. We have produced sample parts of P-2 and we have provided information and photos about it to the IAEA. Once research is completed, we will make our decision about production of P-2s," he said. Rowhani also acknowledged parts for the P-1 centrifuge were still being made in Iran. Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year under strong international pressure but continued with its centrifuge program. It eventually said in April that it had stopped building centrifuges. "Government companies have already suspended building (P-1) centrifuge parts but three private companies continue building centrifuges because we haven't settled the issue of compensation with them for stopping work," he said. In an interview with The Associated Press before the report was issued, U.S. Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton accused Tehran of engaging in "denial and deception." "We are convinced that they are pursuing a clandestine program to acquire nuclear weapons," he said. Bolton said Washington was determined to have Iran answer to the U.N. Security Council. Iran long has rejected U.S. allegations its nuclear program is for military purposes. ElBaradei said Tuesday his agency had not found proof to date of a concrete link between Iran's nuclear activities and its military program, but "it was premature to make a judgment." ElBaradei's report did not appear critical enough of Iran to marshal strong support at the IAEA board meeting for U.N. Security Council action against Iran - which the United States wants. The agency had verified the suspension of uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities at several sites, including Kalaye, Natanz, Lashkar Ab'ad, the report said, but added that the verification was delayed because Iran wouldn't give immediate access to military sites and "not yet comprehensive" because of the private companies' continued production. Iran argues that its suspension declaration does not include the production of uranium hexafluoride, a refined uranium that if enriched in a centrifuge could be used to make a nuclear weapon, and has said it plans to test a plant that would produce the uranium hexafluoride. These tests are "at variance with the agency's previous understanding us to the scope of Iran's decision regarding suspension," the report said. GRAPHIC: AP Photos ---sbs--- 53. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Foreign Pages, Pg. 14,Ê697 words,ÊEU halts aid to Armenia over quake-zone nuclear plant,ÊPaul Brown in Yerevan Copyright 2004 Guardian Newspapers Limited Ê The Guardian (London) June 2, 2004 SECTION: Guardian Foreign Pages, Pg. 14 LENGTH: 697 words HEADLINE: EU halts aid to Armenia over quake-zone nuclear plant BYLINE: Paul Brown in Yerevan BODY: The European Union has frozen euros 100m (£67m) in grant aid to Armenia because the government has gone back on a deal to close the country's only nuclear power station, which is in a highly active earthquake zone. The Armenian government restarted the Metsamor reactor in 1995 after closing it in 1988 when a nearby earthquake killed 25,000 people. The move came after four years of power cuts which left most of the population without heating through the winters. The plant provides one-third of the country's electricity. The Russian-built plant has no secondary containment, a safety requirement for all modern reactors, and is close to two major geological faults where large earthquakes are predicted by the country's geological service. Nuclear fuel for the plant is flown from Russia into the main civilian airport in the capital, Yerevan, because rail links through the neighbouring former Soviet republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan have been cut. The details of the air shipments are kept secret "to avoid alarming the people", according to Areg Galstyan, the deputy minister of energy. He opposes closing the reactor, saying that $ 50m (£30m) has been spent on safety improvements at the plant and it is more important to Armenians "to keep the electricity on". "It was a big mistake to shut the plant in 1988; it created an energy crisis and the people and the economy suffered. It is impossible for the government to cause the same problem again by closing the plant," he told the Guardian. The plant should stay open until 2016, the end of its original design life, he said. The EU grant was to help Armenia develop alternative energy to the 440 megawatt reactor, including financing a new gas pipeline from neighbouring Iran and upgrading and developing a series of hydropower projects. The grant would also have paid for the first phase of decommissioning the nuclear plant. Alexis Louber, the head of the EU delegation in Yerevan, said the £67m of aid would be frozen until the Armenian government gave a definite date for the closure of the power station. "In principle, nuclear plants should not be built in highly active seismic zones. This plant is a danger to the entire region. When the agreement was signed in 1998 to close it in 2004, we wanted to close it as quickly as possible. "We realise that until alternative energy sources are in place it is not possible to do that, but it might be possible by 2006, and certainly could be by 2010." He was also alarmed at the method of delivery of nuclear fuel, using Russian transport planes. "It is the same as flying around a potential nuclear bomb. It does not happen any where else in the world; transportation is by sea or rail." Dr Alvaro Antonyan, president of Armenia's National Survey for Seismic Protection, claimed that Russian scientists had built the power station to resist earthquakes. The 1988 earthquake, which measured 6.7 on the Ritcher scale, had not damaged the reactor and it was safe, he said. But he accepted that larger earthquakes could happen there, and that there was a one in 2,000 chance of a shock that might destroy the reactor. Precise prediction of earthquakes is not possible, but data suggests that stresses are building up in Armenia, and an earthquake of up to five on the Ritcher scale could be due. The more time passes without an earthquake, the larger the next might be. Dr Antonyan said: "As a citizen I can say we do not have an alternative power supply, so we should operate the reactor now. As far as the future is concerned, I would say in a seismic area we should not have a nuclear plant." Gohar Bezprozvannkh, a mother of two who worked at the plant for two years, said: "I fear for my children because I do not think the plant is safe; earthquakes happen here and there is danger. On the other hand, we do not have any options for work, or to keep the lights on. It is impossible." Martirosian Harazat, who retired from the plant four years ago, having worked there since the 1970s, said: "If they shut the plant we will die of hunger; there is no alternative place to work. People have to eat." ---sbs--- 55. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê11:36 AM Eastern Time,ÊInternational News,Ê751 words,ÊIran holds open option of producing sophisticated nuclear centrifuges,ÊBy ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer,ÊTEHRAN, Iran Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle 11:36 AM Eastern Time SECTION: International News LENGTH: 751 words HEADLINE: Iran holds open option of producing sophisticated nuclear centrifuges BYLINE: By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: TEHRAN, Iran BODY: Iran left open the option of producing a centrifuge capable of making weapons-grade uranium, its top nuclear negotiator said Wednesday, a day after a U.N. agency credited Tehran with more openness but expressed concern about years of secret activities. Hasan Rowhani said the International Atomic Energy Agency report meant that scrutiny of Tehran's nuclear activities, which the United States alleges is aimed at weapons-building, was nearly over. "The report makes it clear that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful and there has been no diversion from the peaceful path," Rowhani said. "However, the report has some problems ... (it) has touched upon cases that it should not," he said, adding the IAEA was getting hung up on technical details. The report by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei was prepared for the June 14 meeting of the agency's 35-nation board of governors, which has wrestled for more than a year over what to do about what the United States and its allies say is an Iranian weapons program. The IAEA report alleges Iran had tried to buy critical parts for advanced P-2 centrifuges that can be used for energy purposes or to enrich uranium to weapons grade. Rowhani acknowledged Iran has purchased parts that can be used for P-2 centrifuges but played down the significance. "We told the IAEA that we didn't import P-2 centrifuge parts, except a magnet that can be used for production of both the less-advanced P-1 or advanced P-2 centrifuges," Rowhani said. Although he didn't say so clearly, Rowhani implied that the imported parts were for use in the P-1. Iran has confirmed it has produced P-1 centrifuges, which are used for low-grade enrichment. According to the IAEA report, Iran had imported some magnets and had asked about buying 4,000 or more. Rowhani said Iran held open the option of producing P-2 centrifuges, adding that it had been doing research for years on P-2s, and had even produced sample parts. "On P-2 centrifuges, we are at the stage of completing our research. We have produced 9-12 sample parts of the P-2 and we have provided information and photos about it to the IAEA," Rowhani said. "Once research is completed, we will make our decision about production of P-2s," he said. Rowhani also acknowledged that parts for the P-1 centrifuge were still being made in Iran. "Government companies have already suspended building (P-1) centrifuge parts but three private companies continue building centrifuges because we haven't settled the issue of compensation with them for stopping work," he said. Rowhani said Iran had provided complete information about its P-2 program to the IAEA. "Considering the latest information we have offered to IAEA in the past two or three days, the issue of P-2 has been resolved. The IAEA report also acknowledges the agency has obtained the report but needs time to study," he said. Iran suspended uranium enrichment last year, and in April it said it had stopped building centrifuges. The moves followed mounting international pressure after IAEA inspectors found traces of highly enriched uranium at two Iranian sites last year and evidence that Iran was trying to build centrifuges capable of producing weapons-grade uranium. Iran said the uranium was already on contaminated materials imported from abroad. In an interview with The Associated Press before the report was issued, U.S. Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton accused Tehran of engaging in "denial and deception." "We are convinced that they are pursuing a clandestine program to acquire nuclear weapons," he said. Bolton said Washington was determined to have Iran answer to the U.N. Security Council. Iran long has rejected U.S. allegations its nuclear program is for military purposes. ElBaradei said Tuesday his agency had not found proof to date of a concrete link between Iran's nuclear activities and its military program, but "it was premature to make a judgment." ElBaradei's report did not appear critical enough of Iran to marshal strong support at the IAEA board meeting for U.N. Security Council action against Iran. "The language of Tuesday's report is different from the one in March. It's milder now," Rowhani said. "We told the IAEA that if the Americans say they have sufficient information (about an Iranian weapons program), let them give you the information, and then inspect Iran based on the U.S. information," he said. "It's clear that the U.S. has no information," he said. ---sbs--- 83. The New Zealand Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊNEWS; General,Ê273 words,ÊBrash sidesteps nuclear minefield,ÊBy HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor Copyright 2004 The New Zealand Herald. All Rights Reserved. Ê The New Zealand Herald June 3, 2004 Thursday SECTION: NEWS; General LENGTH: 273 words HEADLINE: Brash sidesteps nuclear minefield BYLINE: By HELEN TUNNAH deputy political editor BODY: Don Brash avoided using the "n" word while meeting United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in Washington. Dr Brash said yesterday that as National Party leader he had made it clear there was bipartisan support for a free-trade agreement with the US, but there had been no talk about nuclear policy. Mr Zoellick had said there was virtually no chance of any move towards free-trade talks before this year's US presidential election. Dr Brash will meet senior State Department officials in the US this week, before meetings in London and Beijing. He has not included Foreign Affairs and Trade officials in his talks, which this week prompted Prime Minister Helen Clark to tell him to leave his politics in his suitcase and pursue New Zealand's national interests. They have been sparring over Dr Brash's US visit since Helen Clark last month quoted from normally secret foreign affairs notes to accuse him of saying National would lift the ban on visits by nuclear-propelled ships if elected. Dr Brash told the Herald there had been no discussions about nuclear policy with Mr Zoellick. Both countries' positions on nuclear policy were well known. "Neither he nor I mentioned the word 'nuclear' in the meeting." Mr Zoellick had shown warmth for New Zealand, but there had been no promises of any trade deal in the near future. Dr Brash said he would support talks for an agreement, even though Australia's was less extensive than hoped, with long lead-in times for the removal of trade barriers in some areas, such as the beef industry. "My feeling is even a less than perfect deal would be better than none." ---sbs--- 98. The Frontrunner,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊWASHINGTON NEWS,Ê250 words,ÊCantwell, Hollings Will Try To Strip Nuclear Cleanup Measure From Defense Bill Copyright 2004 Bulletin News Network, Inc. The Frontrunner June 2, 2004 Wednesday SECTION: WASHINGTON NEWS LENGTH: 250 words HEADLINE: Cantwell, Hollings Will Try To Strip Nuclear Cleanup Measure From Defense Bill BODY: The Washington Post (6/2, A2, Harden, Morgan) reports, "Using the nation's largest and leakiest nuclear waste dump as a backdrop, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) complained last week that the Bush administration is using a 'sneaky' legislative maneuver to avoid cleaning up Cold War-era poisons that are tainting groundwater here and oozing into the Columbia River. ... Cantwell's complaint will animate a debate expected this week on the Senate floor. She and Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) plan to lead an effort to strip language out of the defense authorization bill that would allow the Energy Department to leave some radioactive waste in buried tanks -- rather than get it up and ship it off for entombment in Nevada. ... A vote on the Cantwell-Hollings amendment could be close, with Democrats lining up solidly against the Bush administration." The Post adds, "It is 'nuts' to classify all the waste from nuclear bomb production throughout the Cold War as 'high level,' when a small fraction of it can be safely stored in existing tanks, said Kyle McSlarrow, deputy secretary of energy. 'We want to do this -- not to them, but with them,' said McSlarrow, referring to the three states with major cleanup projects underway at old bomb-making sites." The Post notes, "What particularly upsets Cantwell about the proposal to reclassify waste is that it was inserted in the defense bill without public hearings and without going through the Senate committee that oversees the Energy Department." ---sbs--- 101. BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê177 words,ÊIran's nuclear file on the home straight - Hasan Rowhani Copyright 2004 British Broadcasting Corporation Ê BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring June 2, 2004, Wednesday LENGTH: 177 words HEADLINE: Iran's nuclear file on the home straight - Hasan Rowhani SOURCE: Mehr news agency, Tehran, in Persian 0812 gmt 2 Jun 04 BODY: Text of report by Iranian Mehr news agency Tehran, 2 June: The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council has stressed: The report of the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency shows that the file on Iran's nuclear activities is on the home straight. According to Mehr's political affairs reporter, speaking at noon today, Dr Hasan Rowhani described Muhammad al-Baradi'i's report as positive and said: Al-Baradi'i's new report shows that the file on Iran's nuclear activities is on the home straight. Speaking to domestic and foreign reporters, he added: The report shows that most of the problems have been resolved or are close to being resolved. The secretary of the Supreme National Security Council pointed out: In practice, this report declares Iran's nuclear file closed; only minor issues remain and these issues, too, can be resolved in the near future with expert work. Rowhani added: This report shows that the problems can be resolved and closed. The news conference is still in progress. ---sbs--- 103. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê7:34 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê684 words,ÊProbes find no criminal misconduct in Hanford worker treatment,ÊBy JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer,ÊSPOKANE, Wash. Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press State & Local Wire These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle 7:34 PM Eastern Time SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 684 words HEADLINE: Probes find no criminal misconduct in Hanford worker treatment BYLINE: By JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: SPOKANE, Wash. BODY: A watchdog group expressed disappointment Wednesday that an Energy Department investigation found no evidence of criminal misconduct by contractors accused of trying to cover up evidence of Hanford worker illnesses. The department's inspector general said the investigation "did not substantiate criminal misconduct" related to any of the allegations by the Government Accountability Project. The report to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham dealt with allegations against a contractor who provides health services to workers cleaning up highly radioactive waste in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford nuclear reservation near Richland and a contractor in charge of that cleanup. "We're not overly surprised the IG is not finding anything, because we don't think they did a very good job," said Tom Carpenter, a Seattle lawyer with GAP's nuclear oversight campaign. "We feel that the investigation is essentially a disservice to the community. We're familiar with the evidence. We've taken sworn statements," Carpenter said. "A lot of that evidence was either ignored or not addressed." Carpenter said his group would continue its own investigation into the worker health and safety allegations. He said the state Department of Health and the national Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also investigating. Citing complaints from some of the workers, GAP had accused the contractors of altering or destroying health records, filing false injury reports and hiding questionable ammonia vapor readings involving the tank cleanup. In his report to Abrahams, Inspector General Gregory Friedman said those allegations could not be substantiated, despite interviews with more than 70 current and former Hanford workers, managers and health specialists. Abraham released a statement saying he was pleased the investigations turned up no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Hanford contractors, and that there were no known cases of workers being exposed to excessive chemical vapors. Friedman said he intends to close the case but had turned the report over to the U.S. attorney's office. Nevertheless, Friedman said the investigation revealed some concerns in the way Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, the contractor in charge of occupational medicine and hygiene services, has handled illness and injury complaints. Noting that many workers interviewed "had unresolved concerns" about safety, Friedman said that "management needs to intensify its efforts to improve employee confidence in the occupational health and safety program at Hanford." Abrahams said he will direct Energy officials to implement recommendations from Friedman's report to enhance worker protection. But on the allegations of criminal misconduct, the report said it found no evidence that HEHF altered or destroyed medical records, filed false injury reports or inflated the results of an annual performance assessment report to downplay illnesses and injuries. The report also cleared CH2M Hill Hanford Group, the contractor in charge of the tank cleanup program, of any criminal conduct involving ammonia vapor readings at the tank farm. "The facts developed during the investigation did not substantiate criminal misconduct relating to alleged cover-ups of vapor readings," Friedman wrote. The investigation produced "conflicting testimony" on the issue, but investigators could find "no independent corroborating evidence" to support the allegations, he wrote. Based on worker complaints, the Government Accountability Project in September 2003 listed 45 incidents of workers exposed to chemical vapors from underground tanks. In a previous report the IG said it had found two of the 45 incidents improperly classified and nonreportable. Spokesmen for CH2M Hill Hanford Group were out of their offices Wednesday and unavailable for comment. HEHF President and CEO Lee Ashjian said the report vindicates the medical foundation's staff. On the Net: Energy Department report: http://www.oa.doe.gov Government Accountability Project: http://www.whistleblower.org/ ---sbs--- 105. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:33 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê673 words,ÊProbes find no criminal misconduct in Hanford worker treatment,ÊBy JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer,ÊSPOKANE, Wash. Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press State & Local Wire These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle 6:33 PM Eastern Time SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 673 words HEADLINE: Probes find no criminal misconduct in Hanford worker treatment BYLINE: By JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: SPOKANE, Wash. BODY: A Hanford watchdog group expressed disappointment Wednesday that an Energy Department investigation found no evidence of criminal misconduct by contractors accused of trying to cover up evidence of worker illnesses. The department's inspector general said its investigation "did not substantiate criminal misconduct" related to any of the allegations by the Government Accountability Project. The report to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham dealt with allegations against contractors that provide health services and are involved in cleaning up highly radioactive waste in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford nuclear reservation near Richland. "We're not overly surprised the IG is not finding anything, because we don't think they did a very good job," said Tom Carpenter, a Seattle attorney with GAP's nuclear oversight campaign. "We feel that the investigation is essentially a disservice to the community. We're familiar with the evidence. We've taken sworn statements," Carpenter said. "A lot of that evidence was either ignored or not addressed." Carpenter said his group would continue its own investigation into the worker health and safety allegations, as are the state Department of Health and National Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Citing complaints from some of the workers, GAP had accused the contractors of altering or destroying health records, filing false injury reports and hiding questionable ammonia vapor readings involving the tank cleanup. In his report to Abrahams, Inspector General Gregory Friedman said those allegations could not be substantiated, despite interviews with more than 70 current and former Hanford workers, managers and health specialists. Abraham released a statement saying he was pleased the investigations turned up no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Hanford contractors, and that there were no known cases of workers being exposed to excessive chemical vapors. Friedman said he intends to close the case but had turned the report over to the U.S. attorney's office. Nevertheless, Friedman said the investigation revealed some concerns in the way Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, the contractor in charge of occupational medicine and hygiene services at the facility, has handled illness and injury complaints. Noting that many workers interviewed "had unresolved concerns" about safety, Friedman said that "management needs to intensify its efforts to improve employee confidence in the occupational health and safety program at Hanford." Abrahams said he will direct Energy officials to implement recommendations from Friedman's report to enhance worker protection. But on the allegations of criminal misconduct, the report said it found no evidence that HEHF altered or destroyed medical records, filed false injury reports or inflated the results of an annual performance assessment report to downplay illnesses and injuries. The report also cleared CH2M Hill Hanford Group, the contractor in charge of the tank cleanup program, of any criminal conduct involving ammonia vapor readings at the tank farm. "The facts developed during the investigation did not substantiate criminal misconduct relating to alleged cover-ups of vapor readings," Friedman wrote. The investigation produced "conflicting testimony" on the issue, but investigators could find "no independent corroborating evidence" to support the charges, he wrote. Based on worker complaints, the Government Accountability Project in September 2003 listed 45 incidents of workers exposed to chemical vapors from underground tanks. In a previous report the IG said it had found two of the 45 incidents improperly classified and nonreportable. Spokesmen for CH2M Hill Hanford Group were out of their offices Wednesday and unavailable for comment. HEHF spokeswoman Jan McKee did not immediately return a call for comment. On the Net: Energy Department report: http://www.oa.doe.gov Government Accountability Project: http://www.whistleblower.org/ ---sbs--- ---sbs--- "nuclear power" "nuclear energy" "nuclear plant" - 50 Documents ---sbs--- 1. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê London Edition 1,ÊINTERNATIONAL ECONOMY & ASIA-PACIFIC; Pg. 11,Ê778 words,Ê Nuclear power lights way for China and India: Andrew Taylor continues our series with an assessment of plans to build atomic plants where demand for electric,ÊBy ANDREW TAYLOR Copyright 2004 The Financial Times Limited Financial Times (London, England) June 2, 2004 Wednesday London Edition 1 SECTION: INTERNATIONAL ECONOMY & ASIA-PACIFIC; Pg. 11 LENGTH: 778 words HEADLINE: Nuclear power lights way for China and India: Andrew Taylor continues our series with an assessment of plans to build atomic plants where demand for electric BYLINE: By ANDREW TAYLOR BODY: Designers and developersof nuclear power stationsseeking career opportunitiesat the beginning of the 21st century are looking to Asia. Given its dynamic economic growth, the region offers the only potential large market for new reactors, with China and India offering the greatest opportunities. The big nuclear building programmes that dominated western Europe and North America in the second half of the last century have ground to a halt as growth in electricity demand has levelled out and public concerns over safety, high development costs and decommissioning liabilities have risen. That does not apply to Asia's emerging economies, where demand for electricity often outstrips supply. China and India, which rely heavily on coal for their power generation, are turning to nuclear plants to combat pollution. Renewable electricity is an option, but fails to provide the big hits or the prestige that governments believe will come from competing with the nuclear power of the west. Wealthier nations such as Japan and South Korea, which lack their own natural resources and have already developed large nuclear industries, are more concerned about their potential vulnerability to world oil and gas markets. Some 39 per cent of electricity, in both countries, is generated from 54 reactors in Japan and 19 in South Korea. Both governments have plans to build more nuclear plants. The outcome is less clear in Japan, where public opposition to nuclear power has risen following several accidents at power plants in the 1990s and the falsification of safety reports at Tokyo Electric Power Company, which led to the temporary closure of many of its reactors. These concerns have not deterred other regional governments. According to the World Nuclear Association, east and south Asia currently has "about 100 nuclear reactors in operation, 20 under construction and plans to build about a further 40". In western Europe, by contrast, only Finland has firm plans to develop one new reactor, while the US is working on tentative proposals to develop a new generation of nuclear reactors. China offers the greatest potential for new development, says the WNA. The country has nine reactors with a combined capacity of 6,500 megawatts, supplying just under 2 per cent of electricity. It proposes to invite international tenders before the end of this year for four further reactors, each of about 1,000MW and costing about Dollars 1.5bn (Euros 1.23bn, Pounds 810m) apiece. This would be in addition to two 1,000MW VVER Russian reactors under construction at Tianwan, on China's east coast. The power stations form part of a longer-term plan to raise China's nuclear capacity to just under 40,000MW by 2020. The Dollars 30bn development programme will require the construction of about two reactors a year, says the WNA, "similar in scale to the large French nuclear construction programme undertaken in the 1980s". Bidders for the next four Chinese reactors - at Yangjiang in Guangdong province, and Sanmen in Zhejiang province - are expected to include Areva, the French nuclear developer and Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL). Areva owns 66 per cent of Framatome, which supplied four reactors in Guangdong province, while AECL supplied Candu reactors at Qinshan. Other potential bidders could include General Electric of the US, Toshiba, Hitachi and Mitsubishi of Japan, as well as Westinghouse, the US nuclear developer now owned by British Nuclear Fuels. South Korea, which has created its own nuclear manufacturing capacity on the back of technology developed by Westinghouse, is also hoping to break into the Chinese market. China plans to follow South Korea by developing its own nuclear industry. The latest tenders, according to the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation, will follow the principle of "our market for your technology". South Korea, which has 19 reactors supplying almost 16,000MW, with another 960MW under construction, proposes to build a further eight reactors totalling 9,200MW. Electricity demand has increased by more than 9 per cent a year since 1990. Japan, meanwhile, has outlined plans to develop another 12 reactors with a combined capacity of 14,400MW, although Japanese executives say proposals have been scaled down. India is the next biggest potential market, behind China. It has 14 mostly small reactors with a capacity of 2,500MW, another nine providing a further 4,000MW under construction and plans to build another 24 with a capacity of more than 13,000MW. India, like Pakistan, has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. As a result the two countries have largely been excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials. ---sbs--- 2. The Guardian (London) - Final Edition,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Foreign Pages, Pg. 14,Ê697 words,ÊEU halts aid to Armenia over quake zone nuclear plant,ÊPaul Brown, in Yerevan 3. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Foreign Pages, Pg. 14,Ê697 words,ÊEU halts aid to Armenia over quake-zone nuclear plant,ÊPaul Brown in Yerevan 4. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFINAL EDITION,ÊPg. 01D,Ê714 words,ÊMix of sources needed to meet power demand; Speakers at energy forum push efficiency,ÊTHOMAS CONTENT tcontent@journalsentinel.com 5. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊHome Edition,ÊPg. 1A,Ê603 words,ÊPower cost to rise with temperature; Seasonal increase normal, but Georgia Power's fuel charge higher than usual,ÊMARGARET NEWKIRK 6. The New Zealand Herald,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNEWS; General,Ê568 words,ÊNuclear power 'too big' for NZ,ÊBy SIMON COLLINS science reporter 7. The Record (Bergen County, NJ),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê All Editions,ÊOPINION; Pg. L15,Ê832 words,ÊGlobal warming and the case for nuclear energy,ÊGWYNNE DYER, Wire Services 8. The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFINAL EDITION,ÊPg. 2B,Ê595 words,ÊIn brief,ÊStaff and wire reports 9. Investor's Business Daily,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊSECTION ISSUES & INSIGHTS; EDITORIALS; NATIONAL EDITION; Pg. A14,Ê457 words,ÊThinking Long Term 10. SinoCast,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê188 words,ÊPower Shortage Booms China's Nuclear Power Market,ÊCHINA 11. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê10:15 AM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê377 words,ÊSenators disappointed with NRC's response,ÊMONTPELIER, Vt. 12. ARMINFO NEWS AGENCY,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê100 words,Ê 10.4% ELECTRICITY OUTPUT GROWTH REGISTERED IN ARMENIA IN JAN-APR 2004 13. Ottawa Citizen,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊNews; Pg. A12,Ê522 words,ÊPower plants now cause nearly half of air pollution: study,ÊTom Spears 14. The Independent (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; COMMENT; Pg. 32,Ê246 words,ÊLETTER: THE GREEN FUTURE BEGINS AT HOME,ÊDAVID CHAYTOR MP 15. The New York Sun,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFRONT PAGE; Pg. 1,Ê1169 words,ÊKERRY INSISTS BUSH MOVES TOO SLOWLY ON A-BOMB DANGER,ÊBy JOSH GERSTEIN, Staff Reporter of the Sun 16. MTI Econews,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNEWS,Ê295 words,ÊConference addresses rising energy demand in Hungary,ÊBudapest, June 2, 2004 17. The Fayette Observer, Fayetteville, North Carolina,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFY-HOUSE-MOVER-20040602,Ê517 words,ÊMoving a Building Can Save Money on Housing Costs,ÊBy Al Greenwood 18. U.S. News & World Report,ÊJune 7, 2004,ÊMONEY & BUSINESS; SIDEBAR; Vol. 136 , No. 20; Pg. 40,Ê460 words,ÊA New Look For Appalachia,ÊBy Angie C. Marek,ÊAthens, Ohio 19. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:23 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê445 words,ÊDoctor: Indian Point emergency could overwhelm hospital,ÊBy JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer,ÊWHITE PLAINS, N.Y. 22. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:22 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê445 words,ÊDoctor: Indian Point emergency could overwhelm hospital,ÊBy JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer,ÊWHITE PLAINS, N.Y. 23. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê5:32 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê366 words,ÊDoc says 100 radiation casualties would overwhelm decontamination system,ÊBy JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer,ÊWHITE PLAINS, N.Y. 27. The Independent (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; FEATURES; Pg. 12,13,Ê1496 words,ÊARCHITECTURE: STRANGENESS IN A STRANGE LAND; ÊIT'S SO MINIMAL, IT'S BARELY ARCHITECTURE. WHY, THEN, IS A RUBBER,ÊJAY MERRICK Des res, sea view, all mod cons: the beach house at Dungeness; and (opposite) the interior 28. The New York Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Late Edition - Final,ÊSection A; Column 1; Foreign Desk; Pg. 6,Ê1285 words,ÊIran Still Making Nuclear Materials, U.N. Agency Says,ÊBy WILLIAM J. BROAD and DAVID E. SANGER 29. BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê167 words,ÊIAEA inspectors visit heavy water nuclear facilities in Iranian town of Arak 30. ARMINFO NEWS AGENCY,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê334 words,Ê INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN ARMENIA INCREASED 7.1% DURING JAN-APR OF 2004 31. Idaho Falls Post Register (Idaho Falls, Idaho),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊA_Section; Pg. a1,Ê781 words,ÊMoney needed to back INEEL promise - DOE still looking for thefunding to make the site a world-class leader in research,ÊKATHLEEN O'NEIL, koneil@postregister.com 32. Asia Pulse,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNorthern Territory Regional,Ê859 words,ÊTAIWAN'S TAIPOWER REFUTES ALLEGATIONS OF DEFECTIVE REACTOR,ÊTAIPEI, June 2 33. The Guardian (London) - Final Edition,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Society Pages, Pg. 12,Ê932 words,ÊSociety: Environment: Fission vision: As a young scientist, Derrik Littler helped to set up Europes first nuclear reactor. Now it is finally closing down, he tells Paul Brown how his dreams of creating power for peace were split apart,ÊPaul Brown 34. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Society Pages, Pg. 12,Ê962 words,ÊFission vision: As a young scientist, Derrik Littler helped to set up Europe's first nuclear reactor. Now it is finally closing down, he tells Paul Brown how his dreams of creating 'power for peace' were split apart 35. University Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê584 words,ÊTexas A&M will bid for nuclear laboratory,ÊBy Tessa Moll, Daily Texan; SOURCE: U. Texas-Austin,ÊAUSTIN, Texas 36. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Five Star Late Lift Edition,ÊNEWS,Ê616 words,ÊWORLD DIGEST,ÊFROM NEWS SERVICES [ 37. Greenwire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊSPOTLIGHT,Ê729 words,ÊENERGY POLICY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO APPEAL DISCLOSURE OF ENERGY TASK FORCE RECORDS 38. The Independent (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; COMMENT; Pg. 32,Ê215 words,ÊLETTER: THE GREEN FUTURE BEGINS AT HOME,ÊJAMES GORDON 39. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Home Pages, Pg. 2,Ê47 words,ÊEnvironment 40. Sydney Morning Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊNews And Features; Pg. 6,Ê354 words,ÊCancer Patients Hit By Nuclear Reactor Shutdown,ÊAban Contractor 41. The New Zealand Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊNEWS; General,Ê620 words,ÊPoll reveals support for easing Nuclear ban,ÊBy HELEN TUNNAH DEPUTY political editor 42. The Guardian (London) - Final Edition,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Foreign Pages, Pg. 13,Ê468 words,ÊIran uranium find boosts nuclear bomb fears,ÊIan Traynor 43. Windsor Star (Ontario),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊEditorial; Pg. A8,Ê795 words,ÊPredictions of future climate are plagued,ÊKenneth Green 44. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê3:50 PM Eastern Time,ÊBusiness News,Ê588 words,ÊJudge to review Enron plan for reorganization,ÊBy KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer,ÊHOUSTON 45. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê3:30 PM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê601 words,ÊJudge to review Enron plan for reorganization,ÊBy KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer,ÊHOUSTON 46. Los Angeles Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Home Edition,ÊBUSINESS; Business Desk; Part C; Pg. 2,Ê518 words,ÊCALIFORNIA; Chief Executive of Cal-ISO Steps Down; Terry Winter has been a controversial figure in state energy-policy circles. A search for his successor is underway.,ÊMarc Lifsher, Times Staff Writer,Ê SACRAMENTO 47. Canberra Times (Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊPg. 22,Ê707 words,ÊDATA 48. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê London Edition 1,ÊCOMPANIES ASIA-PACIFIC; Pg. 29,Ê457 words,Ê Panel's move a blow toKepco privatisation ENERGY:,ÊBy ANDREW WARD,ÊSEOUL 49. Los Angeles Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Home Edition,ÊMAIN NEWS; Foreign Desk; Part A; Pg. 4,Ê763 words,ÊIndia, Pakistan Schedule Talks; Foreign secretaries will meet at the end of the month. The countries disagree over how the peace negotiations should proceed.,ÊPaul Watson, Times Staff Writer,Ê NEW DELHI 50. M2 PRESSWIRE,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê1281 words,ÊUNÊ ÊÊUnited Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to Hold 47th Session in Vienna; Implementation of UNISPACE III and space and water to be discussed,ÊVIENNA, (UN Information Service) ---sbs--- "nuclear weapon" "nuclear bomb" "nuclear warhead" "nuclear blackmail" - 111 Documents ---sbs--- 1. The Washington Post,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Final Edition,ÊA Section; A07,Ê1026 words,ÊKerry Proposes Nuclear Plan; Senator Says U.S. Must Move Faster to Safeguard Materials,ÊDan Balz, Washington Post Staff Writer,ÊWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. June 1 Copyright 2004 The Washington Post The Washington Post June 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition SECTION: A Section; A07 LENGTH: 1026 words HEADLINE: Kerry Proposes Nuclear Plan; Senator Says U.S. Must Move Faster to Safeguard Materials BYLINE: Dan Balz, Washington Post Staff Writer DATELINE: WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. June 1 BODY: Sen. John F. Kerry criticized President Bush here on Tuesday for failing to take more aggressive action to reduce the threat of a nuclear attack by terrorists, and the Democrat pledged to lead an effort to secure the world's nuclear bomb-making materials within four years if he is elected president. The senator from Massachusetts described the threat of nuclear materials falling into the hands of terrorists as the greatest danger facing the United States and said more forceful presidential leadership and a more ambitious timetable for reducing the risk are needed to keep the country safe. Speaking at the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, Fla., with a container ship as a backdrop, Kerry invoked images of Cold War dangers to underscore his contention that the nuclear threat has a new face in this era of terrorism. "The question before us now is what shadowy figures may someday have their fingers on a nuclear button if we don't act," he said. "It is time again that we have leadership at the highest levels that treats this threat with the sense of seriousness, urgency and purpose it demands." In the face of evidence that terrorist groups, such as Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, seek to obtain bomb-making material, Kerry said, the Bush administration has gone backward since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in securing such materials in the former Soviet Union. He said that at its current pace, the Bush administration's program to secure nuclear materials there would take 13 years to complete. "We simply can't afford another decade of this danger," he said. "My plan will safeguard this bomb-making material in four years." Bush campaign officials contested Kerry's claims that the administration has not made nuclear nonproliferation a major priority. Speaking for the campaign, Richard Falkenrath, former White House deputy director for homeland security, said Bush has "pushed harder on the nonproliferation agenda than any other president and accomplished more," including an agreement by Libya to dismantle its nuclear program. He also described Kerry's proposals as "hollow promises" that included "preposterous claims," and he said Kerry had offered no new idea for gaining greater cooperation from a Russian government that does not accept the U.S. view of how serious the problem is. As Kerry campaigned in Florida, Vice President Cheney was in Kansas City, where he defended the Patriot Act and criticized Kerry for questioning its effectiveness. Cheney said that rather than infringing on civil liberties, the law "has helped us to defend our liberty." Kerry's speech here was the second of a series he is giving as part of an 11-day focus on defense and national security issues. Last week in Seattle, he outlined the principles of a Kerry administration foreign policy in a speech critical of the president for trying to bully the world rather than establish international alliances. On Thursday in Independence, Mo., the senator will focus on restructuring the military to meet the threats of terrorism. The speech came as Kerry's campaign unveiled a 30-second television commercial that will air in 19 battleground states. The new ad says that "a stronger America starts at home" and says Kerry has "real plans" for creating jobs and lowering the cost of health care. Kerry has talked about the dangers of nuclear nonproliferation, but until Tuesday he had not provided a strategy to reduce the threat that nuclear materials pose. He argued that terrorists do not have the capability to produce nuclear bomb-making materials by themselves and that, if the world acts together under U.S. leadership, existing stocks can be keep out of terrorist hands. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said a program to safeguard all nuclear weapons and materials should begin by accelerating efforts to secure nuclear stocks in the former Soviet Union, where nearly 20,000 weapons, and the material to produce another 50,000 nuclear bombs of the size used on Hiroshima in World War II, remain. Kerry rebuked Bush for failing to take more aggressive action in his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin to force the Russians to overcome bureaucratic obstacles and said he would "seek an agreement to sweep aside the key obstacles." Kerry also said he would attempt to clean out the highly enriched uranium that exists in research reactors in many countries, and said the administration's 10-year timetable should be reduced to four years. He called for strengthening the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and establishing international standards for safeguarding nuclear materials. Signaling another break with the administration, Kerry said he would halt development of a new generation of nuclear weapons by the United States, including so-called "bunker-busting bombs," saying the United States must lead by example in reducing the nuclear threat. Citing the dangers that exist in North Korea and Iran, Kerry said the United States must lead a global effort to prevent those nations from developing nuclear weapons. Kerry said he would keep all options on the table for dealing with North Korea, but he reiterated his criticism of the Bush administration for its unwillingness to engage in direct talks with the North Koreans, saying he would be open to such discussions in addition to the six-party negotiations underway. On Iran, he said the administration's preoccupation with Iraq has hindered efforts to curb that nation's nuclear program. Finally, Kerry said he would create a White House-level position to coordinate the nuclear terrorism prevention effort, to elevate the significance of the program in his administration. Kerry offered no cost estimates for his plan. Graham Allison, a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, who accompanied Kerry to Florida, said the United States spends about $1 billion a year on efforts to safeguard nuclear materials and that, under Kerry's accelerated timetable, the cost could rise to between $5 billion and $6 billion annually. He said the United States could get other nations to help share the cost. ---sbs--- 2. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Wisconsin),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFINAL EDITION,ÊPg. 01A,Ê1067 words,ÊKerry warns of nuclear terrorism ; Kerry warns of nuclear terrorism, outlines plan to slow weapons' spread,ÊCRAIG GILBERT cgilbert@journalsentinel.com 3. The San Francisco Chronicle,ÊJUNE 2, 2004, WEDNESDAY,,ÊFINAL EDITION,ÊNEWS;,ÊPg. A2,Ê689 words,ÊKerry calls for program to protect nuclear fuel,ÊJames Sterngold 4. The Boston Globe,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê,THIRD EDITION,ÊPg. A3,Ê900 words,ÊKERRY SAYS HE'D SECURE NUCLEAR MATERIALS EFFORT SEEN COSTING AT LEAST $30 BILLION ,ÊBy Patrick Healy Globe Staff 5. The Associated Press,ÊJune 1, 2004, Tuesday, BC cycle,ÊInternational News,Ê788 words,ÊIran admits importing equipment to enrich uranium,ÊBy GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer,ÊKRAKOW, Poland 6. Investor's Business Daily,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊSECTION TO THE POINT; WORLD; NATIONAL EDITION; Pg. A02,Ê156 words 7. Courier Mail (Queensland, Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊWORLD; Pg. 26,Ê424 words 8. The Frontrunner,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊTERRORISM NEWS,Ê437 words,ÊPadilla Sought To Blow Up Apartment Buildings 10. The Frontrunner,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊPRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN,Ê2180 words,ÊKerry Criticizes Bush On Nuclear Prevention, Says He'd Cancel Bunker-Buster Research 11. Newsday (New York),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê ALL EDITIONS,ÊNEWS; Pg. A22,Ê654 words,ÊTHE CAMPAIGN TRAIL; Kerry: Ban nuclear materials; Says administration has moved too slowly to ensure former Soviet stockpiles don't fall into wrong hands,ÊBY ANNE Q. HOY. WASHINGTON BUREAU 12. The Miami Herald,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊNATIONAL POLITICAL NEWS,Ê K3162,Ê631 words,ÊKerry criticizes Bush's nuclear plan,ÊBy Lesley Clark 13. The New York Sun,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFRONT PAGE; Pg. 1,Ê1169 words,ÊKERRY INSISTS BUSH MOVES TOO SLOWLY ON A-BOMB DANGER,ÊBy JOSH GERSTEIN, Staff Reporter of the Sun 14. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê12:23 PM Eastern Time,ÊCommentary,Ê682 words 15. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:20 AM Eastern Time,ÊInternational News,Ê851 words,ÊIran admits importing equipment to enrich uranium,ÊBy GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer,ÊKRAKOW, Poland 16. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:36 AM Eastern Time,ÊInternational News,Ê848 words,ÊIran admits importing equipment to enrich uranium,ÊBy GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer,ÊKRAKOW, Poland 17. CBS News Transcripts,ÊCBS Morning News (6:30 AM ET) - CBS,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê279 words,ÊJustice Department releases new documents to show how dangerous suspected terrorist Jose Padilla is,ÊSUSAN McGINNIS,ÊJIM STEWART 18. The Associated Press,ÊJune 1, 2004, Tuesday, BC cycle,ÊPolitical News,Ê859 words,ÊKerry outlines steps to reduce potential terrorist nuclear attacks,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 19. The Toronto Star,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊNEWS; Pg. A12,Ê287 words,ÊKerry eyes curb on terrorist threats,ÊDarlene Superville, Associated Press,ÊWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 20. Knight Ridder Washington Bureau,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊNATIONAL POLITICAL NEWS,Ê K3130,Ê784 words,ÊKerry criticizes Bush on nuclear threat, outlines plan to slow spread,ÊBy James Kuhnhenn 21. Los Angeles Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Home Edition,ÊMAIN NEWS; Foreign Desk; Part A; Pg. 3,Ê899 words,ÊTHE WORLD; Agency Details Iran's Ambitious Pursuit of Advanced Centrifuges; Findings run counter to Tehran's claim it spent little effort on its bid to enrich uranium.,ÊDouglas Frantz, Times Staff Writer,Ê WASHINGTON 22. Los Angeles Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Home Edition,ÊMAIN NEWS; National Desk; Part A; Pg. 15,Ê590 words,ÊTHE CONFLICT IN IRAQ; Kerry Details Nuclear Material Safeguards; He says Bush has failed to support efforts to secure arms ingredients.,ÊMaria L. La Ganga, Times Staff Writer,Ê WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. 23. Congressional Press Releases,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊPRESS RELEASE,Ê608 words,ÊREDUCING TERRORISTS' ACCESS TO THE COMPONENTS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS,ÊJOHN KERRY 24. Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊNATIONAL POLITICAL NEWS,Ê K3315,Ê730 words,ÊKerry criticizes Bush on nuclear threat, outlines plan to slow spread,ÊBy Mark Silva 25. Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA),ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,ÊWORLD; Pg. 05,Ê890 words,ÊTough US rhetoric as Iran's nuclear intent remains unclear,ÊBy Scott Peterson Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor,ÊMOSCOW 26. The New York Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Late Edition - Final,ÊSection A; Column 1; National Desk; Pg. 17,Ê1034 words,ÊKerry Promises Speedier Efforts to Secure Nuclear Arms,ÊBy JODI WILGOREN; Richard W. Stevenson contributed reporting from Washington for this article.,ÊRIVIERA BEACH, Fla., June 1 27. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊSOONER EDITION,ÊPg.A-6,Ê269 words,ÊKERRY TARGETS NUKE TERROR,ÊJAMES KUHNHENN, KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS,ÊRIVIERA BEACH, Fla. 28. Xinhua,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê200406020591.m90,Ê216 words,Ê Japan may bring in seized nuke weapons in contingency: FM, XINHUA 29. Xinhua,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê200406027791.m90,Ê339 words,Ê Kerry offers plan to stop potential 'nuclear terrorism', XINHUA 30. The Record (Bergen County, NJ),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê All Editions,ÊNEWS; Pg. A09,Ê337 words,ÊKerry offers plan to slow nuclear terror threat; Says Bush ignored hostile nations' work,ÊBy JAMES KUHNHENN, KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS, Wire Services,ÊRIVIERA BEACH, Fla. 31. The Press (Christchurch, New Zealand),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊNEWS; NATIONAL;,ÊPg. 9,Ê358 words,ÊTerror expert says future attacks likely,ÊBROOKER Michelle 33. The Washington Times,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, Final Edition,ÊNATION; Pg. A04,Ê622 words,ÊKerry warns of nuke-terror threat;Ê Vows to secure atomic materials,ÊBy Stephen Dinan, THE WASHINGTON TIMES 34. Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê136 words,ÊKerry vows to protect all global N-materials 35. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:56 AM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê587 words,ÊKerry to discuss plan for preventing bioterrorism,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 36. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê2:47 AM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê587 words,ÊKerry to discuss plan for preventing bioterrorism,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 37. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê2:37 AM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê586 words,ÊKerry to discuss plan for preventing bioterrorism,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 38. The New York Post,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊAll Editions; Pg. 6,Ê139 words,ÊKERRY FEARS NUKE ATTACK,Ê Vincent Morris 39. Guelph Mercury (Ontario, Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊNEWS; Pg. A14,Ê240 words,ÊAtomic watchdog credits Iran for openness,ÊVIENNA, AUSTRIA 40. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊWIRE - POLITICS; Pg. A8,Ê272 words,ÊBush pushes grants for religious groups 41. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊHome Edition,ÊPg. 7A,Ê561 words,ÊWORLD IN BRIEF 42. St. Petersburg Times (Florida),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday 0 South Pinellas Edition,ÊCITY & STATE; Pg. 1B,Ê735 words,ÊKerry plays security card,ÊADAM C. SMITH,ÊCLEARWATER 43. National Public Radio (NPR),ÊTalk of the Nation (2:00 PM ET) - NPR,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê3129 words,ÊJohn Kerry's message on Iraq and the campaign trail,ÊNEAL CONAN 44. Jiji Press Ticker Service,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê632 words,ÊKoizumi Set to Draw G-8 Attention to N. Korean Issues,Ê Tokyo, June 2 45. Xinhua,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê200406028691.m90,Ê257 words,Ê IAEA chief calls for global collective security system, XINHUA 46. BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê844 words,ÊIranian daily assesses Russia's posture on nuclear cooperation 47. The New York Sun,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊEDITORIAL & OPINION; Pg. 8,Ê582 words,ÊKerryism 50. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê9:58 AM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê603 words,ÊKerry: Nation lacks national strategy for bioterrorism defense,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 51. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê9:57 AM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê603 words,ÊKerry says nation lacks national strategy for bioterrorism defense,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 54. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê3:46 PM Eastern Time,ÊInternational News,Ê814 words,ÊIran holds open option of producing sophisticated nuclear centrifuges,ÊBy ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer,ÊTEHRAN, Iran 55. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê12:57 PM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê841 words,ÊKerry says gaps remain in nation's preparations for bioterrorism,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 56. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê11:40 AM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê841 words,ÊKerry says gaps remain in nation's preparations for bioterrorism,ÊBy DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 57. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊHome Edition,ÊPg. 3A,Ê659 words,ÊJustice says Padilla confessed to plots; Allegations come amid key case on combatants,ÊREBECCA CARR, GEORGE EDMONSON 58. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê London Edition 2,ÊMIDDLE EAST; Pg. 9,Ê496 words,Ê Report casts doubt on Iran's nuclear claims IAEA INSPECTORS:,ÊBy MARK HUBAND 60. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊWIRE - INTERNATIONAL; Pg. A4,Ê246 words,ÊIran admits importing parts to enrich uranium,ÊThe Associated Press,ÊKRAKOW, Poland 61. The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊWorld; World in Brief; Pg. A14,Ê186 words,ÊUN watchdog credits Iran with more openness,ÊVIENNA, Austria 62. Korea Times,ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,Ê298 words,ÊMany Students Think US Big Barrier to Unification 63. The Washington Post,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Final Edition,ÊA Section; A02,Ê853 words,ÊDebate Intensifies On Nuclear Waste; Lawmakers in Affected States Press Bush Administration on Cleanup,ÊBlaine Harden and Dan Morgan, Washington Post Staff Writers,ÊRICHLAND, Wash. 64. Xinhua,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê200406028591.m90,Ê281 words,Ê IAEA credits Iran for more openness with nuclear plan, XINHUA 65. Ottawa Citizen,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊNews; Pg. A2,Ê454 words,ÊMore Online 66. BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê624 words,ÊInter-Korean military, economic talks to begin 3 June 67. Channel NewsAsia,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊWORLD,Ê708 words,ÊUS accuses Iran of nuclear 'deceit and denial' 68. The New York Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Late Edition - Final,ÊSection A; Column 5; National Desk; Pg. 17,Ê651 words,ÊSenate Delays Overhauling Torts to Focus on Military,ÊBy CARL HULSE,ÊWASHINGTON, June 1 69. The Associated Press,ÊJune 1, 2004, Tuesday, BC cycle,ÊWashington Dateline,Ê893 words,Ê'Dirty bomb' suspect Jose Padilla planned to blow up apartment buildings, government says,ÊBy LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer,ÊWASHINGTON 70. UK Newsquest Regional Press - This is Local London,ÊJune 2, 2004,Ê734 words,ÊThe underground workers who played a part in the Cold War,ÊPaul Symes 71. Los Angeles Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Home Edition,ÊMAIN NEWS; National Desk; Part A; Pg. 1,Ê1094 words,ÊTHE NATION; Government Says Padilla Plotted High-Rise Attacks; Allegations are released as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on his arrest and detention.,ÊRichard B. Schmitt, Times Staff Writer,Ê WASHINGTON 72. The New York Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Late Edition - Final,ÊSection A; Column 3; Metropolitan Desk; Pg. 2,Ê1273 words,ÊNEWS SUMMARY 73. The San Francisco Chronicle,ÊJUNE 2, 2004, WEDNESDAY,,ÊFINAL EDITION,ÊNEWS;,ÊPg. A2,Ê186 words,ÊCORRECTION 74. Birmingham Post,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; NEWS; Pg. 7,Ê67 words,ÊNUKE SITE ARRESTS 75. The Washington Post,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Final Edition,ÊEditorial; A24,Ê489 words,ÊNuclear Waste Disposal 76. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Asia Edition 1,ÊASIA-PACIFIC; Pg. 2,Ê436 words,Ê North Korea lets in chink of western light with opening of German library,ÊBy ANDREW WARD and HUGH WILLIAMSON,ÊBERLIN and SEOUL 77. The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊFRONT; Pg. A11,Ê166 words,ÊNuclear neighbours agree to more talks,ÊNEW DELHI 78. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê3:21 AM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê842 words,ÊBattle over classifying nuclear waste heats up,ÊBy SHANNON DININNY, Associated Press Writer,ÊRICHLAND, Wash. 80. The Times (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFeatures; 32,Ê897 words,Ê Judith Cook 81. The Washington Post,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Final Edition,ÊA Section; A21,Ê778 words,ÊWatchdog Blasts Iran On Nuclear Program,ÊPeter Slevin, Washington Post Staff Writer 82. The Boston Herald,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê ALL EDITIONS,ÊNEWS; Pg. 009,Ê436 words,ÊWAR ON TERROR; AL-QAEDA'S LOOSE CANNON,ÊBy ANDREW MIGA 83. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê5:52 PM Eastern Time,ÊWashington Dateline,Ê377 words,ÊU.S. opposes any dispatch of Taiwanese troops to Iraq,ÊBy GEORGE GEDDA 84. DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê396 words,Ê1.1. KERRY TALKING OF RUSSIA[],ÊArthur Blinov 85. The Guardian (London) - Final Edition,ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Home Pages, Pg. 8,Ê22 words,ÊIn brief: Six arrested at weapons site 86. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Home Pages, Pg. 8,Ê34 words,ÊSix arrested at weapons site 87. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 2, 2004,ÊGuardian Home Pages, Pg. 8,Ê34 words,ÊSix arrested at weapons site 88. Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê979 words,ÊMiners dig in around uranium; Congo's president orders a ban, but it is not enforced,ÊTODD PITMAN,ÊSHINKOLOBWE, Congo 89. The Australian,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday All-round Country Edition,ÊWORLD; Pg. 8,Ê180 words,ÊIran admits N-imports 90. The Boston Globe,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê,THIRD EDITION,ÊPg. A1,Ê1136 words,ÊUS SAYS PADILLA PLOTTED TO BLOW UP HIGH-RISES,ÊBy Charlie Savage, Globe Staff 91. The New York Times,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê Late Edition - Final,ÊSection A; Column 1; Metropolitan Desk; Pg. 1,Ê276 words,ÊINSIDE 92. The Record (Bergen County, NJ),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê All Editions,ÊLOCAL; Pg. L07,Ê574 words,ÊEnglewood activist O'Brien Boldt, 86,ÊBy ANDREW GLAZER, STAFF WRITER, North Jersey Media Group,ÊENGLEWOOD 93. Xinhua,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê200406028090.m90,Ê281 words,Ê Top Iranian official rejects new IAEA report, XINHUA 94. The Frontrunner,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊPRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN,Ê365 words,ÊBush Praises Success Of Anti-Proliferation Initiative 95. The Independent (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊFirst Edition; FOREIGN NEWS; Pg. 24,Ê418 words,Ê US CITIZEN WAS PARTNER IN AL-QA'IDA BOMB PLOT',ÊDAVID USBORNE IN NEW YORK 96. Financial Times (London, England),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,Ê Asia Edition 1,ÊOBSERVER; Pg. 12,Ê156 words,Ê Capitalist tools please Dear Kim OBSERVER 97. BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê323 words,ÊIranian analyst expresses concern about Al-Baradi'i's report, US influence 98. The Houston Chronicle,ÊJune 02, 2004, Wednesday,Ê2 STAR EDITION,ÊA;,ÊPg. 10,Ê429 words,ÊIN BRIEF 99. Newsday (New York),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê ALL EDITIONS,ÊNEWS; Pg. A04,Ê1011 words,ÊTHE WAR ON TERRORISM; The case against Padilla; U.S. declassifies its evidence of alleged 'dirty' bomb plot and defends Bush decision to hold an American,ÊBY TOM BRUNE. WASHINGTON BUREAU; Staff writer Patricia Hurtado contributed to this story. 100. Sydney Morning Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊNews And Features; Pg. 13,Ê759 words,ÊTerrorism May Force Us All Behind Walls,ÊGregory Hywood Ghywood@hotmail.com 101. Daily News (New York),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,Ê SPORTS FINAL EDITION,ÊNEWS; Pg. 5,Ê552 words,ÊRECIPE FOR TERROR 'DIRTY' BOMBER'S LAST QAEDA SUPPER 'NO WAY, JOSE' TO BROOKLYNITE'S PLAN N.Y. APARTMENTS TARGETED, SAY FEDS,ÊBy JAMES GORDON MEEK DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU With Helen Peterson in New York 102. Lloyd's List,ÊJune 3, 2004,ÊIssue #58671; The Back Page; Pg. 18,Ê383 words,ÊWorld Brief 103. The Toronto Sun,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊNEWS; Pg. 45,Ê238 words,Ê'DIRTY BOMB' DETAILS LAID OUT 104. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,Ê6:33 PM Eastern Time,ÊPolitical News,Ê770 words,ÊKerry event put USF professors in unwanted political spotlight,ÊBy VICKIE CHACHERE, Associated Press Writer,ÊTAMPA, Fla. 105. The New York Post,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊAll Editions; Pg. 6,Ê369 words,ÊQAEDA'S HIGH-RISE SLAY PLOT ; PLANNED APT. BLASTS: FEDS,ÊDEBORAH ORIN in Washington and MURRAY WEISS in New York 106. The Baltimore Sun,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊFINAL Edition,ÊPg. 3A,Ê529 words,ÊCheney attacks Kerry's position, says he flip-flopped on Patriot Act; Law needs improvement, Democrat's campaign says; ELECTION 2004,ÊDavid L. Greene 107. The Times (London),ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,ÊOverseas news; 14,Ê309 words,Ê US accuses former gangster of al-Qaeda 'dirty bomb' plot,ÊRoland Watson in Washington 108. PAP News Wire,ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday,ÊGENERAL,Ê850 words,ÊINTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,ÊBaghdad 109. Winnipeg Sun (Manitoba, Canada),ÊJune 2, 2004 Wednesday Final Edition,ÊNEWS; Pg. 14World Briefs,Ê492 words,ÊWORLD BRIEFS COLUMN,ÊBY SUN NEWS SERVICES 110. The Australian,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday All-round Country Edition,ÊWORLD; Pg. 7,Ê214 words,ÊGangster's aim 'to nuke the US',ÊRoy Eccleston 111. Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday,Ê1466 words,ÊBBC Monitoring News Prospects for Wednesday 2 June 2004 ---sbs--- 6/3 - 10 am - 25 Documents - "nuclear power" "nuclear energy" "nuclear plant" "radioactive waste" ---sbs---

* EU lobby against early closure of NPP units
Tanya Raycheva, PARI Daily (Bulgaria)

One of the effects of enlarging the EU is the prospect of disloging the anti-nuclear mood which has characterized the insitutions up to now. According to MEP Gordon Adam, more supporters of the nuclear energy will come into the European institutions, which is a condition for the forming up of a stronger pro-nuclear lobby. Adam and another MEP, Per-Arne Arvidson, recommended that Bulgaria ask the European Commission for revision of the agreement for early closure of Kozloduy units 3 and 4. The same opinion is stated in the declaration on the country's nuclear power facilities, signed yesterday by 250 participants in the international forum on nuclear energy, being held in the resort area Riviera in Bulgaria. Bulgaria's energy minister, Milko Kovachev, did not disclose if any concrete measures in this direction would be taken. He declined to comment on the statement of president Georgi Parvanov that Bulgaria had rather hastily consented to close the two units. --- 1. PARI Daily,ÊJune 3, 2004,Ê213 words,ÊEU LOBBY AGAINST EARLY CLOSURE OF NPP UNITS,ÊTanya RAYCHEVA Copyright 2004 Pari Daily. Published by Business Media Group. All rights reserved. Not available for re-dissemination Ê PARI Daily June 3, 2004 LENGTH: 213 words HEADLINE: EU LOBBY AGAINST EARLY CLOSURE OF NPP UNITS BYLINE: Tanya RAYCHEVA BODY: BULGARIAN government should ask the European Commission for revision of the agreement for early closure of the third and fourth units at the country's sole nuclear power plant Kozloduy, MEPs Gordon Adam and Per-Arne Arvidson said. The same opinion is stated in the declaration on the country's nuclear power facilities, signed yesterday by 250 participants in the international forum on nuclear energy, being held in the resort area Riviera in Bulgaria. The document also insists on reassessment of the fact that the early closure of the two units was set as a preliminary condition for Bulgaria's entry into the union. The declaration is to be submitted to the Council of Ministers of Europe. Everything, however, depends on the Bulgarian government, Adam pointed out. According to Adam, after the EU enlargement more supporters of the nuclear energy will come into the European institutions, which is a condition for the forming up of a stronger lobby, since up to now the anti-nuclear moods take superiority. Energy minister, Milko Kovachev, did not disclose if any concrete measures in this direction would be taken. he denied to comment the statement of the president Georgi Parvanov that Bulgaria had rather hastily consented to close the two units. ---sbs---

* Dominion Is Urged to Account For Fuel rods At Millstone 2; NRC's Recommendation Stems From Loss Of Rods At Millstone 1
Patricia Daddona, The Day (New London CT)

A federal resident inspector at Millstone Power Station has recommended that the plant owner physically take inventory of boxed spent fuel at Millstone 2. Similar recommendations are anticipated at 11 of the 103 other nuclear plants around the country as part of a nationwide review. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission initiated the study last November in response to the loss four years ago of two fuel rods at Millstone 1, said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan. That plant is now being decommissioned. The nationwide review "is being done on a one-time basis to make sure plants have good control over what's in their spent fuel pools," Sheehan said. "There is an even higher sensitivity to properly safeguard this material post 9/11." The directive applies to both operating and decommissioned power plants. The accounting review is being conducted in three phases. In the first, power plant owners and federal inspectors must determine whether any fuel rods have ever been removed from their assemblies and placed in metal boxes, which Dominion calls "lockers," or other containers. In Phase 2, the owner must account for those "reconstituted" fuel rods through record-keeping or other means. Phase 3 Ñ the phase the inspector has recommended Millstone carry out Ñ involves an intensive inspection to locate and account for the waste.

At Millstone 2 in the mid-1980s, Northeast Utilities took 1,106 14-foot-long radioactive fuel rods from their assemblies, primarily at the Millstone 2 plant, and placed them in stainless steel "lockers" at the bottom of a spent fuel pool to save space, said Pete Hyde, spokesman for Dominion. The three lockers at Millstone 2 are sealed with a tab at the top that slips in and locks shut, and can be opened only with a highly specialized tool that moves the tab, Hyde said. Dominion doesn't have the tool, but could get it from the manufacturer, he said. The company is not surprised to be one of the 12 considered for a more intensive review, said Hyde, but the company doesn't believe the step is necessary. "It's not just Dominion, it's the whole industry," he said. "We are asking, with the industry, the question, ÔWhy is this necessary?' These boxes were not designed to be opened. So to do so, we'd have to go to extraordinary lengths to confirm what's in there." "We have trained and qualified reactor engineers and oversight representatives who physically counted every single one of those rods that went into those lockers," Hyde said. When it comes to handling fuel rods, Hyde said, less handling is also safer. Sheehan could not say whether the NRC would endorse the inspector's recommendation for a third phase of physical inventories at Millstone or any other plant. He did not identify the other 12 plants recommended for Phase 3 scrutiny. He did say Dominion's objections have some validity and will need to be "worked out." "To satisfy our comfort level," he added, "if the opening of those boxes is required, that's what they'll have to do." --- Dominion Is Urged to Account For Fuel rods At Millstone 2 NRC's Recommendation Stems From Loss Of Rods At Millstone 1 By PATRICIA DADDONA Day Staff Writer, Waterford Published on 6/3/2004 Waterford Ñ A federal resident inspector at Millstone Power Station has recommended that the plant owner, Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, physically take inventory of boxed spent fuel at Millstone 2. Similar recommendations are anticipated at 11 of the 103 other nuclear plants around the country as part of a nationwide review. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission initiated the study last November in response to the loss four years ago of two fuel rods at Millstone 1, said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan. That plant is now being decommissioned. There is no evidence that more spent fuel rods have gone missing at Millstone, Sheehan said, but the Millstone 1 incident and a similar case at a Vermont Yankee power plant served as a wake-up call. The nationwide review Òis being done on a one-time basis to make sure plants have good control over what's in their spent fuel pools,Ó Sheehan said. ÒThere is an even higher sensitivity to properly safeguard this material post 9/11.Ó The directive applies to both operating and decommissioned power plants. Security concerns related to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, prevented the NRC from starting its review sooner, he said. While the initiative could lead to NRC policy changes, the main intent is to gather specific information at every plant about spent fuel and how it is managed. What happened at Millstone theoretically could happen anywhere, a manual outlining the process states. The two rods missing from Millstone 1 disappeared when the plant was owned and operated by Northeast Utilities. Dominion purchased the power plants in 2001. The accounting review is being conducted in three phases. In the first, power plant owners and federal inspectors must determine whether any fuel rods have ever been removed from their assemblies and placed in metal boxes, which Dominion calls Òlockers,Ó or other containers. In Phase 2, the owner must account for those ÒreconstitutedÓ fuel rods through record-keeping or other means. Phase 3 Ñ the phase the inspector has recommended Millstone carry out Ñ involves an intensive inspection to locate and account for the waste. Most power plants store radioactive spent fuel rods in various-sized assemblies and then submerge the assemblies in 40-foot-deep pools. The water, treated with boron, inhibits fission, the nuclear reaction used to generate electricity in the reactor core, and cools the rods. The planned final repository for contaminated nuclear waste, an underground storage site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, failed to open in 1998 and remains years away from operation. The assemblies in the spent fuel pools can be accounted for by sight, but that is not true for fuel rods that were taken out of the assemblies and stored in other containers, Sheehan said. Alternate containers have been used over the years for various reasons, he said Ð sometimes to conserve space in the pools while waiting for Yucca Mountain and at other times for inspection of damaged rods. At Millstone 2 in the mid-1980s, Northeast Utilities took 1,106 14-foot-long radioactive fuel rods from their assemblies, primarily at the Millstone 2 plant, and placed them in stainless steel ÒlockersÓ at the bottom of a spent fuel pool to save space, said Pete Hyde, spokesman for Dominion. The three lockers at Millstone 2 are sealed with a tab at the top that slips in and locks shut, and can be opened only with a highly specialized tool that moves the tab, Hyde said. Dominion doesn't have the tool, but could get it from the manufacturer, he said. Dominion has great confidence in its record keeping, Hyde said, in contrast to the accounting used by Northeast Utilities, which paid a $288,000 fine for losing track of two fuel rods that have never been located. The company is not surprised to be one of the 12 considered for a more intensive review, said Hyde, but the company doesn't believe the step is necessary. ÒIt's not just Dominion, it's the whole industry,Ó he said. ÒWe are asking, with the industry, the question, ÔWhy is this necessary?' These boxes were not designed to be opened. So to do so, we'd have to go to extraordinary lengths to confirm what's in there.Ó ÒWe have trained and qualified reactor engineers and oversight representatives who physically counted every single one of those rods that went into those lockers,Ó Hyde said. When it comes to handling fuel rods, Hyde said, less handling is also safer. Sheehan could not say whether the NRC would endorse the inspector's recommendation for a third phase of physical inventories at Millstone or any other plant. He did not identify the other 12 plants recommended for Phase 3 scrutiny. He did say Dominion's objections have some validity and will need to be Òworked out.Ó ÒTo satisfy our comfort level,Ó he added, Òif the opening of those boxes is required, that's what they'll have to do.Ó The chance of finding more missing fuel rods at any of the plants is Òextremely remote,Ó Sheehan said, particularly with today's heightened level of security. However, the incident at Millstone 1 prompted officials at Vermont Yankee to double-check a container; they subsequently found two sections of a fuel rod missing, he said. At Millstone 1, the NRC determined there was a good chance the missing fuel rods mistakenly ended up at a low-level radioactive waste in Barnwell, S.C., but that, Sheehan said, is only an educated guess. p.daddona@theday.com ---sbs---

* China seeks to intensify trade, cooperation
Telam news agency (Buenos Aires, Argentina) -- translated from the Spanish by BBC Monitoring (subscription required)

Argentina and China are working towards "a long-term partnership". Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai met with Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna and Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa for a detailed analysis of the bilateral agenda. Martin Redrado, the Argentine secretary for international economic relations, said the intended cooperation would allow Argentina to supply China with nuclear know-how, particularly technology for the production of Cobalt 60 for medical purposes, heavy water and nuclear fuel, and later on take part in or cooperate with the construction of nuclear power plants, research reactors, nuclear medicine facilities, irradiation plants and other undertakings. Last year, soya beans accounted for 86 per cent of Argentina's 2.3bn dollars' worth of sales to China. --- 3. BBC Monitoring International Reports,ÊJune 3, 2004,Ê558 words,ÊARGENTINE, CHINESE MINISTERS ANALYSE BILATERAL COOPERATION, TRADE Copyright 2004 BBC Monitoring/BBC Ê BBC Monitoring International Reports June 3, 2004 LENGTH: 558 words HEADLINE: ARGENTINE, CHINESE MINISTERS ANALYSE BILATERAL COOPERATION, TRADE BODY: Text of unattributed report: "China seeks to intensify trade, cooperation" carried by Argentine news agency Telam Buenos Aires, 31 May: Argentina and China are working towards "a long-term partnership" that would entail not only broader trade but also cooperation with a view to exporting animal genetics and industrial energy know-how to the Asian country. Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai today held separate meetings with Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna and Foreign Minister Rafael Bielsa and their respective teams for a detailed analysis of the bilateral agenda. Bo Xilai reassured the Argentine officials that China would continue to purchase Argentine soya beans, a commodity that was much in demand last year and accounted for 86 per cent of Argentine sales to China. According to the Argentine Foreign Ministry, Bielsa underlined the potential of the Chinese market for Argentine products, not only because of the size and vigour of China's economy, but also because of its demand for Argentine exportable products. Martin Redrado, the Argentine secretary for international economic relations, who had lunch with Bielsa and the Chinese minister of commerce, told Telam (this agency) that the parties "discussed the possibility of a long-term bilateral partnership that would involve not only trade but also cooperation". According to Redrado, China's "two main axes" of trade with Argentina are "foods and industrial energy", adding that in the latter area "we are well-positioned to provide 'know-how'." Redrado said the intended cooperation would allow Argentina to supply China with nuclear know-how, particularly technology for the production of Cobalt 60 for medical purposes, heavy water and nuclear fuel, and later on take part in or cooperate with the construction of nuclear power plants, research reactors, nuclear medicine facilities, irradiation plants and other undertakings. As for agricultural cooperation, Redrado reported that China is interested in "acquiring animal genetic know-how to improve the quality of its livestock". Some progress was also achieved in cooperation areas of priority interest to Argentina, such as software and information science. Negotiations are under way for an agreement that would expedite partnerships between companies of the two countries. The parties also discussed health protocols for exports of beef, lamb, poultry, offal and fresh fruit. China has authorized imports of meat products from the area (Patagonia) accorded the status of foot-and-mouth-disease-free without vaccination by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) but authorization to import fresh beef from the whole of Argentina is still pending. Bo Xilai conveyed the Chinese government's predisposition to launch negotiations for a free trade agreement with Mercosur (Common Market of the South) and broached with Argentine officials related aspects of Argentine President Nestor Kirchner's agenda in Beijing from 27 June to 3 July. China has a market of 1.3 billion consumers and imports 400bn dollars' worth of goods a year. It was Argentina's fourth largest customer in 2003, having purchased 2.3bn dollars' worth of goods, 120 per cent more than the year before. Source: Telam news agency, Buenos Aires, in Spanish 2351 gmt 31 May 04 ) BBC Monitoring ---sbs---

* Rokkasho plant resumes accepting spent nuke fuel after 19 months
Kyodo News Service (Tokyo) -- subscription required

The still-under-construction Rokkasho nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in northeast Japan resumed accepting spent nuclear fuel today for the first time since radioactive water leak prompted halt in November 2002. Some 46 tons of spent fuel arrived in the village's port from Fukushima-2. Ahead of the facility's scheduled full-fledged operations in July 2006, trial operations using depleted uranium are scheduled to take place this month and another test using spent nuclear fuel is being planned for next June. Japan Nuclear Fuel plans to store about 1,600 tons of spent nuclear fuel in the facility before full-fledged operation takes place. During fiscal 2004, it will accept about 529 tons from nuclear plants in Japan. --- 4. BBC Monitoring International Reports,ÊJune 3, 2004,Ê271 words,ÊJAPANESE PLANT RESUMES ACCEPTING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL Copyright 2004 BBC Monitoring/BBC Ê BBC Monitoring International Reports June 3, 2004 LENGTH: 271 words HEADLINE: JAPANESE PLANT RESUMES ACCEPTING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL BODY: Aomori, Japan, 3 June: A nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, resumed accepting spent nuclear fuel Thursday (3 June) for the first time in about 19 months. Some 46 tons of spent nuclear fuel arrived in the village's port from Fukushima Prefecture on the day. Waste delivery to the plant was halted in November 2002 due to welding defects that caused a leak of radioactive water at the plant in the northeastern Japan prefecture. The spent nuclear fuel, from Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No 2 plant in the towns of Tomioka and Naraha, was delivered Thursday morning to Mutsuogawara port on the 4,913-ton cargo ship Rokuei Maru. Following the arrival of the fuel, Aomori prefectural and Rokkasho municipal officials boarded the ship to inspect the containers. Aomori prefectural police provided security in the area due to the residual hazard of the fuel. The containers will be loaded onto trailers during the day and transported to the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho about 7 km from the port. Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd is building the plant. Ahead of the facility's scheduled full-fledged operations in July 2006, trial operations using depleted uranium are scheduled to take place this month and another test using spent nuclear fuel is being planned for next June. Japan Nuclear Fuel plans to store about 1,600 tons of spent nuclear fuel in the facility before full-fledged operation takes place. During fiscal 2004, it will accept about 529 tons from nuclear plants in Japan. Source: Kyodo News Service, Tokyo, in English 0054 gmt 3 Jun 04 ) BBC Monitoring ---sbs---

*

5. Japan Economic Newswire,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊINTERNATIONAL NEWS,Ê255 words,ÊPlant resumes accepting spent nuke fuel after 19 months,ÊAOMORI, Japan, June 3 Copyright 2004 Kyodo News Service Ê Japan Economic Newswire June 3, 2004 Thursday SECTION: INTERNATIONAL NEWS LENGTH: 255 words HEADLINE: Plant resumes accepting spent nuke fuel after 19 months DATELINE: AOMORI, Japan, June 3 BODY: A nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, resumed accepting spent nuclear fuel Thursday for the first time in about 19 months. Some 46 tons of spent nuclear fuel arrived in the village's port from Fukushima Prefecture on the day. Waste delivery to the plant was halted in November 2002 due to welding defects that caused a leak of radioactive water at the plant in the northeastern Japan prefecture. The spent nuclear fuel, from Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 2 plant in the towns of Tomioka and Naraha, was delivered Thursday morning to Mutsu-Ogawara port on the 4,913-ton cargo ship Rokuei Maru. Following the arrival of the fuel, Aomori prefectural and Rokkasho municipal officials boarded the ship to inspect the containers. Aomori prefectural police provided security in the area due to the residual hazard of the fuel. The containers were loaded onto trailers and transported to the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho about 7 kilometers from the port later in the day. Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. is building the plant. Ahead of the facility's scheduled full-fledged operations in July 2006, trial operations using depleted uranium are scheduled to take place this month and another test using spent nuclear fuel is being planned for next June. Japan Nuclear Fuel plans to store about 1,600 tons of spent nuclear fuel in the facility before full-fledged operation takes place. During fiscal 2004, it will accept about 529 tons from nuclear plants in Japan. ---sbs---

* A New Look For Appalachia
Angie C. Marek, U.S. News & World Report (June 7 cover date)

The United States Enrichment Corp., which supplies enriched uranium fuel to commercial nuclear power plants, opted to construct another plant in Pike County after the governor's office offered more than $125 million in tax breaks, job retraining, and other incentives. "We're going to turn this town around," says Jim Morgan, an operations manager at USEC. 6. U.S. News & World Report,ÊJune 7, 2004,ÊMONEY & BUSINESS; SIDEBAR; Vol. 136 , No. 20; Pg. 40,Ê460 words,ÊA New Look For Appalachia,ÊBy Angie C. Marek,ÊAthens, Ohio Copyright 2004 U.S. News & World Report Ê U.S. News & World Report June 7, 2004 SECTION: MONEY & BUSINESS; SIDEBAR; Vol. 136 , No. 20; Pg. 40 LENGTH: 460 words HEADLINE: A New Look For Appalachia BYLINE: By Angie C. Marek DATELINE: Athens, Ohio HIGHLIGHT: ; BODY: Athens, Ohio--Timing, John Richards would say, is everything. For more than a decade, the West Virginia native worked in a local auto-parts factory. But in 2002, Richards learned of an opening for a plant manager in a fledgling biotech firm and decided to take a risk. Today, he guides a team of employees at Diagnostic Hybrids Inc., which manufactures cell cultures used to detect, say, strep throat and SARS. And his old job at the auto plant? The factory shut down two months after he jumped ship. This is the changing face of Appalachian Ohio, the southeastern portion of the state, where coal mines and auto and furniture factories once provided steady jobs to thousands. Although the region's 29 counties boast some of the highest unemployment rates in the state--topped by Morgan County at 15.2 percent unemployment in April--there is hope. A burgeoning tourism industry is pumping up the area's service economy, while the focus on luring high-tech firms has already reinvigorated several small towns. Castles in the air. The Hocking Hills region, with its supposedly haunted caves and the natural beauty of nearby 233,000-acre Wayne National Forest, is the gem of the new tourism trade. Running through the heart of Hocking Hills is Route 93, chockablock with chalets, quaint bed and breakfasts, and craft stores. "It's growing so fast, I can't keep up," says Dot Scott, who sells country kitsch at the Cross Creek General Store, with Dolly Parton memorabilia inside and a garden dedicated to Jesus out front. At Ravenwood Castle, owner Sue Maxwell says weekend stays in her $ 195 luxury suites are booked much of the summer. "When I told the banks I wanted to build a castle in Ohio, some of them laughed at me," says Maxwell. "No one's laughing at me today." Indeed, an average of 20 new lodging facilities have opened every year in the past four years. The tech sector, however, takes more nurturing. DHI counts on the support of a nearby Ohio University campus. The United States Enrichment Corp., which supplies enriched uranium fuel to commercial nuclear power plants, opted to construct another plant in Pike County after the governor's office offered more than $ 125 million in tax breaks, job retraining, and other incentives. "We're going to turn this town around," says Jim Morgan, an operations manager at USEC. Such optimism, however, isn't universal. Infrastructure remains a problem. Large swaths of land without access to major roads, for example, dissuade companies from moving in. In Morgan County, Susan Kaster, business manager of a bed and breakfast that is now for sale, gestures toward shells of factories that once hummed with activity. "It was like a stake in my heart every time one closed," she says. GRAPHIC: Picture, Rural Ohio seeks its salvation in tourism and technology. (PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT GOLDSMITH FOR USN&WR) LOAD-DATE: June 1, 2004 ---sbs---

* Building the bomb
James M. Pethokoukis, USNews.com Next News

In 2002, Sen. Joe Biden challenged scientists from the government's nuclear laboratories: Could they build a nuclear weapon from parts legally available on the open market? Biden was trying to figure out how tough it would be for terrorists to make a nuke. The Washington Post reports that a few months later, the scientists "returned to the soundproof Senate meeting room with a workable nuclear weapon, missing only the fissile material" such as uranium or plutonium. The Delaware Democrat described the weapon as "bigger than a breadbox and smaller than a dump truck." A secret U.S. government program from the 1960s -- the "Nth Country Experiment" -- showed that a couple of physicists without any specific bomb-making expertise or access to secret information could probably do it in less than three years. --- Building the bomb A recent Washington Post article reports about a challenge that Sen. Joe Biden put to scientists from the government's nuclear laboratories back in 2002: Could they build a nuclear weapon from parts legally available on the open market? Biden was trying to figure out how tough it would be for terrorists to make a nuke. A few months later, the scientists "returned to the soundproof Senate meeting room with a workable nuclear weapon, missing only the fissile material" such as uranium or plutonium. The Delaware Democrat described the weapon as "bigger than a breadbox and smaller than a dump truck." As it turns out, designing a nuclear weapon isn't that much harder than getting the parts for one. As I wrote in Next News last September, a secret U.S. government program from the 1960s called the "Nth Country Experiment"Ñmeant to gauge how hard it would be for a nonnuclear country to design a nuclear bombÑshowed that a couple of physicists without any specific bomb-making expertise or access to secret information could probably do it in less than three years. As one of the scientists from that program, Robert Selden, told me, "We were surprised about the amount of information that was available, including the number of articles that purported to describe how to design a bomb." Given the ease of the design and manufacturing, Selden thought it was pretty fortunate that terrorists apparently haven't yet put a bomb together. ---sbs---

* Lovelock is wrong on nuclear energy
PR Rowland MSc, PhD, C Chem, FRSC, letter to The Guardian (London)

The golden rule in considering any energy production scheme is the total energy audit (TEA). For nuclear energy, you have to consider first the energy investment - all the energy consumed in mining the ores for the fuel and plant, construction of the reactors and associated systems, running and maintenance, decommissioning of all plant at end-of-life, safe disposal of spent fuel and waste (no acceptable way has yet been found) or its secure storage for periods of hundreds of years. The energy consumed in supplying the food, clothing and housing of all concerned would also have to be included. This must be subtracted from the net, useable energy produced in the reactor's lifetime. If this energy profit is low or, as seems probable, negative then it is not a viable project. The fact that Lovelock has not considered these fundamentals invalidates his advice on the subject. --- 7. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 3, 2004,ÊGuardian Science Pages, Pg. 10,Ê175 words,ÊLovelock is wrong on nuclear energy Copyright 2004 Guardian Newspapers Limited Ê The Guardian (London) June 3, 2004 SECTION: Guardian Science Pages, Pg. 10 LENGTH: 175 words HEADLINE: Lovelock is wrong on nuclear energy BODY: Re your news item about James Lovelock's views on nuclear power and climate change (Life, May 27), the golden rule in considering any energy production scheme is the total energy audit (TEA). For nuclear energy, you have to consider first the energy investment - all the energy consumed in mining the ores for the fuel and plant, construction of the reactors and associated systems, running and maintenance, decommis- sioning of all plant at end-of-life, safe disposal of spent fuel and waste (no acceptable way has yet been found) or its secure storage for periods of hundreds of years. The energy consumed in supplying the food, clothing and housing of all concerned would also have to be included. This must be subtracted from the net, useable energy produced in the reactor's lifetime. If this energy profit is low or, as seems probable, negative then it is not a viable project. The fact that Lovelock has not considered these fundamentals invalidates his advice on the subject. PR Rowland MSc, PhD, C Chem, FRSC London ---sbs---

* Pilot gets 15 years on drug charges
Colleen Jenkins, St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

Pilot Vernon Williams first caught authorities' attention when the U.S. Air Force spied his plane off course and headed toward the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. After the Air Force ordered the plane to land in Crystal River, Williams allowed authorities to search it. They found a loaded .40-caliber handgun in Williams' bag and large shrink-wrapped bags of marijuana -- 65 pounds -- in the back of the plane. Williams has been convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking. He's appealing the conviction. Williams' family and lawyers think the marijuana found on his plane belonged to a passenger, who was arrested but cleared of all charges in the incident. "He hates drug dealers," said Diana Williams, his ex-wife. "He always has." --- 8. St. Petersburg Times (Florida),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊCITRUS TIMES; Pg. 1,Ê524 words,ÊPilot gets 15 years on drug charges,ÊCOLLEEN JENKINS Copyright 2004 Times Publishing Company Ê St. Petersburg Times (Florida) June 3, 2004 Thursday SECTION: CITRUS TIMES; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 524 words HEADLINE: Pilot gets 15 years on drug charges BYLINE: COLLEEN JENKINS BODY: ÊHis family and lawyers think the marijuana found on his plane belonged to a passenger, who was arrested but cleared of all charges in the 2001 incident. INVERNESS - Pilot Vernon Williams first caught authorities' attention when the U.S. Air Force spied his plane off course and headed toward the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But it was his cargo that really drew notice: 65 pounds of professionally packed marijuana. On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Ric A. Howard said, despite Williams' previously clean record, the drugs couldn't go ignored. He sentenced the 55-year-old Melbourne man to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking. Williams' lawyers already are appealing his April conviction by a Citrus County jury. Williams' family and lawyers think the drugs belonged to his passenger, Brian Hagen, 26. The two men were flying from Pensacola to Louisiana on Oct. 23, 2001, when they ventured over the Gulf of Mexico in Williams' Piper Arrow. After the Air Force ordered the plane to land in Crystal River, Williams allowed authorities to search it. They found a loaded .40-caliber handgun in Williams' bag and large shrink-wrapped bags of marijuana in the back of the plane. Hagen also was arrested but the charges against him were soon dropped, court records show. He has a history of drug arrests, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records, and is currently serving a 10-year prison term for an unrelated case. During the hearing Wednesday, California defense attorney Mark McBride appealed to Howard for a lenient sentence. He noted the only blemish on Williams' record was a 1992 misdemeanor battery charge in St. Lucie, which never was prosecuted. Howard promised he wouldn't consider that old arrest in his deliberation. Williams' family and friends, including his mother, ex-wife and former in-laws, traveled from around Florida to vouch for the man they said could be described in one word: honest. They said Williams had built a pool business from scratch, overseeing 30 to 50 pool projects at a time. When he borrowed money, he paid it back. When he asked for a favor, he always returned the courtesy. The man they knew was dependable and decent, they said. "He hates drug dealers," said Diana Williams, his ex-wife. "He always has." Of greatest concern to those close to Williams is his poor health. They told the judge Williams suffered from severe diabetes, which has weakened his sight and balance. In jail, McBride said, his blood sugar has fluctuated to the point that it could cause brain damage. "That's a serious issue," he said. Assistant State Attorney Richard Buxman reminded the judge that the crime required Williams to spend at least three years in prison. Howard went further. Williams will serve the mandatory three-year minimum sentence, plus at least 85 percent of the remaining 12 years. The judge also denied McBride's motion to set a bond, which would have allowed Williams to be released from jail while his attorneys appeal the case. -Colleen Jenkins can be reached at 860-7303 or cjenkins@sptimes.com. ---sbs---

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9. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday, BC cycle,Ê8:40 AM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê55 words,ÊCorrection: Vermont Yankee story,ÊMONTPELIER, Vt. Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press State & Local Wire These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 3, 2004, Thursday, BC cycle 8:40 AM Eastern Time SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 55 words HEADLINE: Correction: Vermont Yankee story DATELINE: MONTPELIER, Vt. BODY: In a May 28 story about funding for emergency planning in the area around the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the annual state budget for emergency preparedness was $400,000. It is $800,000, and slated to grow to about $925,000 in the fiscal year that starts July 1. ---sbs---

* Forget expansion, let's take Temelin off line
Prague Post (Czech Republic) editorial

According to environmentalist Jan Haverkamp of Greenpeace, last week's news reports that the energy giant CEZ is planning to build two more power stations at the Temelin nuclear power plant represent a desperate push forward for the nuclear industry in Central Europe. "After years of downward prognosis for the sector, it sees at present its chance and pragmatically abuses arguments of economic growth and climate change," Haverkamp wrote. He also charged that the desire to expand Temelin has nothing to do with the legitimate power needs of the Czech Republic and everything to do with a potential customer base to the west. "In the end, all are looking at the Western European market, where Central European nuclear pundits expect gaps in capacity after the German nuclear program will be phased out." The new energy plan that the government accepted in March after intense debates calls for two new Temelin units to go online in 2020, but the reports last week seemed to indicate that the company is considering much quicker timetable. --- 10. Prague Post (Czech Republic),ÊJune 3, 2004,ÊOpinion,Ê574 words,ÊPostview,ÊStaff Copyright 2004 Prague Post s.r.o. Ê Prague Post (Czech Republic) June 3, 2004 SECTION: Opinion LENGTH: 574 words HEADLINE: Postview BYLINE: Staff BODY: Forget expansion, let's take Temelin off line During the final week of May a story broke in the Czech press (and quickly disappeared) whereby Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Martin Pecina announced that the energy giant CEZ is planning to build two more power stations at the Temelin nuclear power plant, doubling the number of stations there. Pecina, who also serves on the CEZ board of directors, reportedly told the daily Mlada fronta Dnes that CEZ would soon request permission for the expansion. CEZ leadership quickly went into damage-control mode, saying that expanding Temelin is only under consideration and that the company does not have the cash (upward of 100 billion Kc, or dollar 3.8 billion) needed for the work. CEZ CEO Martin Roman told the newspaper that there are no concrete talks about a continuation of building at Temelin, and his spokesperson added that a decision is not expected in the coming months. That phrase, in the coming months, is of course essential. According to environmentalist Jan Haverkamp of Greenpeace and the Brno chapter of the World Information Service on Energy (WISE), Pecina's comments signal a desperate push forward for the nuclear industry in Central Europe. "After years of downward prognosis for the sector, it sees at present its chance and pragmatically abuses arguments of economic growth and climate change," Haverkamp wrote in a statement. He also charged that the desire to expand Temelin has nothing to do with the legitimate power needs of the Czech Republic and everything to do with a potential customer base to the west. "In the end, all are looking at the Western European market, where Central European nuclear pundits expect gaps in capacity after the German nuclear program will be phased out," Haverkamp wrote. "They do not care for the extra risk it brings for nuclear accidents nor for the fact our Central European grandchildren are supposed to find a solution to the created waste. They even don't care for the fact that nuclear power time and again proves to be the most expensive solution if one includes all direct and indirect subsidies." Pecina is known as a staunch defender of nuclear power, according to WISE. He played a large part in bringing about the new energy plan that the government accepted in March after intense debates. The two new blocks are to go online in 2020, according to that plan. Given Pecina's words, and discounting the subsequent backpedaling from his bosses, we fear that CEZ and the government will indeed try to disregard the plans and instead work toward activating the two new blocks much sooner. Given that an alternative plan put forth by Environment Minister Libor Ambrozek calling for a complete phaseout of nuclear power was defeated by a hardly decisive 9-7 vote in the Cabinet, we believe it is important for the government to at the very least commit to abiding by the plan that did pass. The government and CEZ leaders should remember that scaling back on reliance on nuclear power makes sense environmentally and economically. Many existing plants operate at a loss. What's more, the Czech Republic is lucky enough to have a power surplus. It is important for the country to move away from coal and nuclear energy and to pursue loftier goals for alternative energy supplies. Rather than discussions about expansion, we'd prefer discussions on how soon the plants at Temelin and Dukovany can be taken off line. ---sbs---

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11. Sydney Morning Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊNews And Features; Pg. 6,Ê354 words,ÊCancer Patients Hit By Nuclear Reactor Shutdown,ÊAban Contractor Copyright 2004 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd Ê Sydney Morning Herald June 3, 2004 Thursday SECTION: News And Features; Pg. 6 LENGTH: 354 words HEADLINE: Cancer Patients Hit By Nuclear Reactor Shutdown BYLINE: Aban Contractor BODY: Up to 8000 cancer patients missed out on treatment or had treatment put on hold after the nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights was shut down for 40 days this year. The reactor produces enough medical radioisotopes in a month for about 40,000 doses to be distributed to hospital patients including those with secondary cancers, thyroid disorders and severe bone pain from cancer. The director of government and public affairs at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation , Ron Cameron, estimated that between 10 and 20 per cent of patients could have been affected by the shutdown. Nuclear physicians inject radio-pharmaceuticals for diagnostic and treatment purposes. About 550,000 people rely on the High Flux Australian Reactor for diagnosis and radiotherapy treatment in Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia. "Some got no treatment, some [treatment] was postponed. Operations were rescheduled," Dr Cameron said yesterday. "If doctors are given enough notice they can reschedule so patients are not upset by radioisotopes not being available." Earlier, organisation officials told the Senate employment, workplace relations and education committee in Canberra that the reactor had been shut down in March for an overhaul which occurs every four years. When the reactor was shut down for three to four days radioisotopes were usually able to be transported on international flights or produced in advance. Labor's science and industry spokesman, Senator Kim Carr , said ANSTO officers had told the committee that the old reactor would have to shut in 2006 because it had run out of fuel. "What we need to know is what contingency plans are in place to ensure that sick and dying people will not be denied necessary treatment," Senator Carr said. The Australian Medical Association's spokesman on radiation cancer treatment, Dr Allan Zimet, was not aware of the shutdown and said it did not seem to have had any effect on cancer services. The committee was later told by the Australian Research Council that the annual report for the National Stem Cell Centre would not be made public. ---sbs---

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12. The New Zealand Herald,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊNEWS; General,Ê620 words,ÊPoll reveals support for easing Nuclear ban,ÊBy HELEN TUNNAH DEPUTY political editor Copyright 2004 The New Zealand Herald. All Rights Reserved. Ê The New Zealand Herald June 3, 2004 Thursday SECTION: NEWS; General LENGTH: 620 words HEADLINE: Poll reveals support for easing Nuclear ban BYLINE: By HELEN TUNNAH DEPUTY political editor BODY: Most New Zealanders would be prepared to ease the law banning visits from nuclear-propelled ships - but only if the Americans promise not to send any warships. In a surprise poll result, 53.1 per cent of voters surveyed supported a National Party taskforce report which suggests easing the law that bans nuclear-propelled ship visits, and replacing it with a "policy" ban. The Herald-DigiPoll found 37.6 per cent of those surveyed did not want any tinkering with the anti-nuclear legislation. Last night, the Government said it would not amend the 1987 law that established New Zealand as a nuclear-free zone, but also guaranteed tensions with the United States. "No way," said Disarmament Minister Marian Hobbs. "We will keep ourselves nuclear free." Even National seemed surprised by the poll result. Acting leader Gerry Brownlee described it as "interesting". Labour is gearing up to take on National over nuclear policy before next year's election, but the finding suggests that while New Zealanders want the country to remain nuclear-free, they might accept some flexibility over how that is achieved. A party breakdown of the result shows predictably strong support among National voters for a law change, provided no warships visit. But only 51.5 per cent of Labour voters opposed that prospect, and four out of 10 Labour voters said they would support an easing of the nuclear propulsion ban if the Americans agreed not to send warships. The poll also found 58 per cent of those surveyed were against any easing of the ships ban to improve relations with the US, and 34.4 per cent were in favour of change. National issued its taskforce report debating the anti-nuclear legislation last month. It said New Zealand should stay nuclear-free, and the law banning nuclear weapons should not change. But the report raised the option of easing the legal ban on nuclear-propelled ship visits, while retaining a policy ban. It said Denmark operated such a policy and had retained good relations with the US. Prime Minister Helen Clark has dismissed the idea as unworkable. She is overseas, but has said that if National thought such a policy was a serious proposition, "we will die laughing". Ms Hobbs, who is also acting Foreign Affairs Minister, said National wanted to cuddle up to nuclear weaponry. "I would not ever support a relaxation of the law when you've got something as vague as an 'understanding' with the United States. "That's giving the decision-making power to the United States. Are we or are we not a sovereign state setting our own laws? "We are not having any nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships in our country, full stop." Mr Brownlee said the poll suggested nuclear policy might not be the "political hot potato" many people expected. He said National did not support any change to the law banning nuclear weapons. "It's just the issue of propulsion. The interesting thing is we know that surface ships other than the aircraft carriers are no longer nuclear-propelled, and the chances of one coming here are practically zero." National has said it will not make any changes to the law unless it gains public backing, either through a manifesto promise before a general election or through a referendum. The sliding popularity of President George Bush and the prisoner torture scandals involving US soldiers in Iraq are thought to have made National nervous of pursuing any position that might align it with an unpopular Administration. No decision on its nuclear position is expected before the US presidential elections in November. The poll of 712 voters was conducted between May 27 and June 1, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 per cent. ---sbs---

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13. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday, BC cycle,Ê4:59 AM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê358 words,ÊFlaw in removal system delays cleanup,ÊCINCINNATI Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press State & Local Wire These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 3, 2004, Thursday, BC cycle 4:59 AM Eastern Time SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 358 words HEADLINE: Flaw in removal system delays cleanup DATELINE: CINCINNATI BODY: Tests at a former uranium processing plant 18 miles northwest of Cincinnati have shown a flaw in the system designed to remove radioactive waste from underground silos. For two weeks, crews at the Fernald cleanup site have been testing the machinery and technology that will be used to remove radioactive powder. But officials said that on May 18, a mechanical problem, coupled with a mistake by a computer operator, led to test material being dumped on the ground. Crews have been practicing with fly ash. The real material, which has the consistency of flour and contains thorium, has been stored in the concrete silos for nearly 50 years. Dennis Carr, project manager for the government's prime contractor, Fluor Fernald, said correcting the problems and retesting the system would delay removal of the radioactive material by at least a week. "This is the whole point of doing the tests - to get all the bugs worked out and get comfortable with the procedures," Carr said. The accident happened on a mechanical conveyor belt, which is supposed to shake the storage bags that will hold the radioactive powder as it is being dumped into them, officials said. The bag started to move along the conveyor belt, so the system was shut down. A computer operator then tried to fill the bag manually, but flipped the wrong switch and caused test material to begin flowing in a second packaging station that did not have a bag on the conveyor belt ready to receive the fly ash. Carr said the computer program has been fixed so that no material can come out of the chutes without a bag on the conveyor belt. Crews were testing the new program on Wednesday, he said. The $4.4 billion cleanup plan for the 1,050-acre site calls for the waste to be shipped to Nevada, but officials there have said they will file a lawsuit in an attempt to prevent that. From the early 1950s until 1989, the Fernald complex processed and purified uranium metal that was sent to the government's Hanford site near Richland, Wash., and the Savannah River operation near Aiken, S.C., for use in reactors to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons. ---sbs---

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16. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,ÊBusiness News,Ê588 words,ÊJudge to review Enron plan for reorganization,ÊBy KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer,ÊHOUSTON Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved Ê The Associated Press These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle SECTION: Business News LENGTH: 588 words HEADLINE: Judge to review Enron plan for reorganization BYLINE: By KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer DATELINE: HOUSTON BODY: Enron Corp.'s 900-page roadmap to emerge from one of the most expensive and complicated bankruptcies in U.S. history is ready for a judge to give it a thumbs-up. On Thursday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur Gonzalez in New York will convene what is expected to be a hearing of up to a week to consider confirmation of Enron's reorganization plan. Fewer than 10 objections of about 100 filed remain unresolved in regard to the framework that proposes to pay most creditors about one-fifth of the approximately $66.4 billion they are owed in cash and stock. Last week creditors certified the plan, which has been tweaked to resolve objections since it was first presented to Gonzalez in January. If Gonzalez confirms it as expected, Enron can begin carrying it out. "We can hear the whistle blowing, the train is on the way, and the few remaining dissenters will one way or another be pushed out of the way," said Martin Zohn, a bankruptcy law expert. "Once the court approves the plan with an order, the starting gate is open and the lawyers, accountants and business people are ready to proceed." Martin Bienenstock, Enron's main bankruptcy lawyer, said Enron lumped the bankrupt parent and its 179 bankrupt subsidiaries together to simplify the process. He noted that the scandal-choked company managed to preserve non-bankrupt assets rather than give up and liquidate. "We were so close to a total meltdown where things just would have stopped," he said. "To pull together the capital and theories and plans to keep all those businesses going when the whole world didn't trust us and didn't know what our assets and liabilities were - I wouldn't have predicted that at first." Under the plan, creditors will receive about $11 billion in cash and stock. That $11 billion, as proposed, would be distributed 70 percent in cash and 30 percent in stock in each of three companies: CrossCountry Energy Corp., which comprises Enron's whole or part interest in three domestic natural gas pipelines; Prisma Energy International Inc., a smattering of pipeline and power assets in 14 countries, mostly in Latin America; and Portland General Electric, Enron's Pacific Northwest utility. Sales of two of those companies are pending. Last year, Enron announced plans to sell Portland General to an investment group backed by Texas Pacific Group for $1.25 billion in cash and $1.1 billion in assumed debt. Earlier this month, Enron announced plans to sell CrossCountry to a company run by Texas billionaire Oscar Wyatt Jr. for $1.8 billion in cash and $430 million in assumed debt. If those sales close later this year as expected, the 92 percent of the $11 billion would be distributed in cash and the remaining 8 percent would be in Prisma stock, Enron spokeswoman Karen Denne said Wednesday. An auction is expected to be held later this year to allow other buyers to submit higher bids for CrossCountry. Enron, once No. 7 on the Fortune 500, went bankrupt in December 2001 amid revelations of hidden debt, inflated profits and accounting tricks. Thousands of workers lost their jobs and millions of investors saw their shares plummet to pennies. Twenty-nine people, including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling and former finance chief Andrew Fastow, have been charged with crimes in the Justice Department's ongoing probe of what caused the collapse. Fastow is among 10 former executives who have pleaded guilty, while Skilling is among 19 who have pleaded innocent and are facing trial. ---sbs---

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17. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON),ÊJune 03, 2004, Thursday,ÊPg. 11,Ê347 words,ÊChalabi 'warned Iran about code-breaking by Americans',ÊBy Marcus Warren in New York Copyright 2004 Telegraph Group Limited Ê THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON) June 03, 2004, Thursday SECTION: News; International: Pg. 11 LENGTH: 347 words HEADLINE: Chalabi 'warned Iran about code-breaking by Americans' BYLINE: By Marcus Warren in New York BODY: AHMAD Chalabi, until recently the Bush administration's favourite Iraqi leader, tipped off Iran's espionage service that America had cracked its codes, it was claimed yesterday. By allegedly betraying the secret, Mr Chalabi compromised one of Washington's best sources of information on Iraq's neighbour, a would-be nuclear power, US intelligence officials said. As described in yesterday's New York Times, the story of how the head of the Iraqi National Congress supposedly exposed a US intelligence coup will place further pressure on his former sponsors in the Pentagon. The disclosure may seal the 59-year-old former banker's spectacular fall from grace. His Baghdad home and offices were raided two weeks ago by US troops and Iraqi police, who took away computers, files and personal items. Days earlier Washington stopped the INC's pounds 200,000 monthly fee for intelligence gathering. CIA officials have subsequently briefed heavily against Mr Chalabi, accusing him of providing Iraqi defectors who gave unreliable information on weapons of mass destruction in the build-up to the Iraq war. His "excommunication" could be linked to the supposed leak to Iran. According to the New York Times, Mr Chalabi passed on the information to the Baghdad station chief of Iran's intelligence and security ministry about six weeks ago. The FBI is investigating the leak and one of its priorities will be to identify the allegedly drunk US official who it is claimed mentioned the secret of the code-breaking to Mr Chalabi. Sceptical of the Americans' ability to read their cable traffic, the Iranian spy chief reported the conversation to headquarters in Teheran, using the code the US had broken. When the cable, referring to the Americans as "them", was deciphered, US intelligence discovered Mr Chalabi's alleged betrayal. First accused of relaying sensitive information to Iran last month, Mr Chalabi has dismissed the charges and accused George Tenet, the CIA director, of conducting a smear campaign against him. Iran yesterday also described the reports as "false". ---sbs---

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18. Edmonton Journal (Alberta),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday Final Edition,ÊNews; Pg. A11,Ê481 words,ÊChalabi warned Iran about codes -- U.S. sources: Former Iraqi favourite, Iran both deny claims,ÊNEW YORK Copyright 2004 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All Rights Reserved Ê Edmonton Journal (Alberta) June 3, 2004 Thursday Final Edition SECTION: News; Pg. A11 LENGTH: 481 words HEADLINE: Chalabi warned Iran about codes -- U.S. sources: Former Iraqi favourite, Iran both deny claims SOURCE: Daily Telegraph DATELINE: NEW YORK BODY: NEW YORK - Ahmad Chalabi, until recently the Bush administration's favourite Iraqi leader, tipped off Iran's espionage service that the U.S. had cracked its codes, it was claimed Wednesday. By allegedly betraying the secret, Chalabi compromised one of Washington's best sources of information on Iraq's neighbour and would-be nuclear power, U.S. intelligence officials said. As described in Wednesday's New York Times, the story of how the controversial head of the Iraqi National Congress supposedly exposed a U.S. intelligence coup will place further pressure on his former sponsors in the Pentagon. The revelation might seal the former banker's spectacular fall from grace. His Baghdad home and offices were raided two weeks ago by U.S. troops aided by Iraqi police. Days earlier Washington stopped the INC's monthly fee for intelligence gathering. CIA officials have subsequently briefed heavily against him, accusing him of providing Iraqi defectors who gave unreliable information on weapons of mass destruction in the buildup to the Iraq war. His excommunication could be linked to the supposed leak to Iran. According to the New York Times, Chalabi passed on the information to the Baghdad station chief of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security about six weeks ago. The FBI is investigating the leak and one of its priorities will be to identify the allegedly drunk U.S. official who, it is claimed, mentioned the secret of the code-breaking to Chalabi. Skeptical of the Americans' ability to read their cable traffic, the Iranian reported the conversation to headquarters in Teheran, using the very code the U.S. had broken. When that cable, which referred to the Americans as "them" and described the original source as having been drunk, was deciphered, U.S. intelligence discovered Chalabi's alleged betrayal. First accused of relaying sensitive information to Iran last month, Chalabi has dismissed the charges and accused George Tenet, the CIA director, of conducting a smear campaign against him. Iran on Wednesday also described the reports as "false." A FRANK ENVOY - The special UN envoy to Iraq appealed to the Iraqi people on Wednesday to give the country's new interim government a chance to succeed. "There is a real opportunity for an open political discourse to finally take place in this country," Lakdhar Brahimi, said at a briefing in Baghdad. "The best way to honour this opportunity is to seek peaceful debate and disagreement rather than to shy away from disagreement because it is uncomfortable and inconvenient." - Brahimi struck a mildly surprising note when, in answer to a reporter's question, he referred to the American occupation administrator, L. Paul Bremer III, as "the dictator of Iraq." "He has the money," Brahimi said. "He has the signature. Nothing happens without his agreement in this country." -- New York Times ---sbs---

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19. The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday Final Edition,ÊNews; Pg. A5,Ê284 words,ÊIraqi allegedly tipped Iran that U.S. cracked code: Ahmad Chalabi is no longer in U.S. favour after his reported act of betrayal,ÊMarcus Warren,ÊNEW YORK Copyright 2004 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All Rights Reserved Ê The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia) June 3, 2004 Thursday Final Edition SECTION: News; Pg. A5 LENGTH: 284 words HEADLINE: Iraqi allegedly tipped Iran that U.S. cracked code: Ahmad Chalabi is no longer in U.S. favour after his reported act of betrayal SOURCE: Daily Telegraph BYLINE: Marcus Warren DATELINE: NEW YORK BODY: NEW YORK -- Ahmad Chalabi, until recently the Bush administration's favourite Iraqi leader, tipped off Iran's espionage service that the U.S. had cracked its codes, it was claimed Wednesday. By allegedly betraying the secret, Chalabi compromised one of Washington's best sources of information on Iraq's neighbour and a would-be nuclear power, U.S. intelligence officials said. As described in Wednesday's New York Times, the story of how the controversial head of the Iraqi National Congress supposedly exposed a U.S. intelligence coup will place further pressure on his former sponsors in the Pentagon. The revelation might seal the 59-year-old former banker's spectacular fall from grace. His Baghdad home and offices were raided two weeks ago by U.S. troops aided by Iraqi police, who took away computers, files and personal items. Days earlier Washington stopped the INC's $500,000 Cdn monthly fee for intelligence gathering. CIA officials have subsequently accused him of providing Iraqi defectors who gave unreliable information on weapons of mass destruction in the build-up to the Iraq war. His excommunication could be linked to the supposed leak to Iran. According to the New York Times, Chalabi passed on the information to the Baghdad station chief of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security about six weeks ago. The FBI is investigating the leak and one of its priorities will be to identify the allegedly drunk U.S. official who it is claimed mentioned the secret of the code-breaking to Chalabi. Skeptical of the Americans' ability to read their cable traffic, the Iranian reported the conversation to headquarters in Tehran, using the very code the U.S. had broken. ---sbs---

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20. Canberra Times (Australia),ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,ÊPg. 22,Ê707 words,ÊDATA Copyright 2004 The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Limited Ê Canberra Times (Australia) June 3, 2004 Thursday Final Edition SECTION: A; Pg. 22 LENGTH: 707 words HEADLINE: DATA BODY: CODE READ: Scientists have produced complete maps of human chromosomes 9 and 10, which contain genes linked to diseases including cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.Published last week in Nature, this brings to nine the number of human chromosomes which have been fully sequenced and analysed. (Humans have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs.) Chromosome 9 contains a total of 1149 genes responsible for encoding proteins, including 94 associated with disease and one involved in inhibiting the development of tumours.Mutation or loss of this gene, CDKN2A, has been linked to the development of skin cancer. Chromosome 10 contains 816 genes, 85 of which are associated with diseases including breast , prostate and brain and cancer, type 1 diabetes and psychiatric disorders.www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human-Genome/home.shtml AMAIZING GRACE: The European Commission has authorised the release of a genetically modified maize variety into the EU market for direct human consumption, but European farmers are not yet permitted to grow it. The BT11 corn, produced by the Swiss firm, Syngenta, is resistant to insects and tolerant of the herbicide glufosinate."Food safety is not an issue. It is a question of consumer choice," says EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection David Byrne, who judged the GM corn to be as safe as conventional maize.Bt11 grain has been authorised for import into the EU since 1998 for use in stock feed and derived food products such as cornflour, confectionary and soft drinks. All products containing the corn have to be labelled to show that they contain GM ingredients.SCREEN CHECK: If you spend the time and money to check out The Day After Tomorrow, the new movie which portrays "abrupt climate change", you can go online and find out for free if it could it really happen.http://ealert.pewclimate.org/ctt.asp?u=1427334&l=37657POINTY END: German physicists reckon the universe is shaped like the Eiffel Tower, topped with an infinite spire.The team at Ulm University hopes its model will revolutionise understanding of the universe, which is believed to have infinite form but finite volume. "Previously, scientists have dodged fundamental problems to create models of the universe, but all existing knowledge of quantum physics supports our model," says Frank Steiner, Ulm's professor of theoretical physics. "This research has not been published yet but the unofficial response in the scientific world so far has been positive."www.physik.uni-ulm.de/theo/qc/NUKE NEWS: Last month's third biennial International Youth Nuclear Congress drew several hundred young nuclear scientists and professionals to Toronto.Organising chairman Adam McLean, from Toronto University, says the nuclear industry "is far from dead"."People plug things into the wall but often don't know where their electricity comes from. They receive medical treatment but often don't realise it's thanks to a nuclear application," McLean says.www.iync.orgSTEM SET: Researchers at Germany's Frauenhofer Institute and the University of Luebeck have extracted cells from human and rat glandular tissue that showed similar properties to embryonic stem cells. They took cells from a 74-year-old person and a rat that were extremely stable and multiplied easily."An easily accessible source for the extraction of highly potent stem cells has been discovered in almost any vertebrate but also in the human body, regardless of sex and age," the institute said in a statement.HOT FLUSHING: An earthquake that shook Alaska in November 2002 affected geysers and hot springs at Yellowstone National Park nearly 3200 kilometres away.Researchers at the University of Utah monitored 22 of Yellowstone's 10,000 geysers, hot springs and steam vents and found that eight displayed notable changes after the quake. "Several small hot springs, not known to have geysered before, suddenly surged into a heavy boil with eruptions as high as one metre," the researchers report in Geology. The temperature of one spring increased rapidly from about 42C to 93C and became much less acidic.The researchers hypothesise that the quake waves jarred loose minerals that had sealed some underground hot water conduits and then mixed in with the water. ---sbs---

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21. The Guardian (London),ÊJune 3, 2004,ÊGuardian Leader Pages, Pg. 28,Ê111 words,ÊDaily Telegraph Editorial, June 2 Copyright 2004 Guardian Newspapers Limited Ê The Guardian (London) June 3, 2004 SECTION: Guardian Leader Pages, Pg. 28 LENGTH: 111 words HEADLINE: Daily Telegraph Editorial, June 2 BODY: "In the short term, the rising oil price is a serious economic irritant . . . But in the long term, it may bring surprising benefits . . . "The lure of higher profits will encourage the discovery of new wells outside the Middle East . . . reducing our dependence on unsavoury regimes. Conservation measures and alternative energy sources, such as fuel cells and even nuclear power, also look more cost effective . . . In America, the government has yet to tap into its strategic reserves, which are big enough to fuel the US economy for over a month. The situation in the Middle East will have to get much worse before this becomes a third oil crisis." ---sbs---

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22. The Associated Press,ÊJune 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle,ÊWashington Dateline,Ê582 words,ÊInvestigator finds no evidence of criminal misconduct in nuclear worker illness dispute.,ÊBy H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer,ÊWASHINGTON Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved Ê The Associated Press These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 2, 2004, Wednesday, BC cycle SECTION: Washington Dateline LENGTH: 582 words HEADLINE: Investigator finds no evidence of criminal misconduct in nuclear worker illness dispute. BYLINE: By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: WASHINGTON BODY: An Energy Department investigation found no evidence of criminal misconduct by contractors accused of trying to cover up evidence of worker illnesses at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington state, the department's inspector general said Wednesday. The IG report said the investigation "did not substantiate criminal misconduct" related to any of the charges against the contractors that provide health services and are involved in cleaning up highly radioactive waste in 177 underground tanks at the facility near Richland, Wash. A private watchdog group, citing complaints from some of the workers, had accused the contractors of altering or destroying health records, filing false injury reports and hiding questionable ammonia vapor readings involving the tank cleanup. But Inspector General Gregory Friedman said Wednesday, in summarizing the report, that none of these charges could be substantiated, despite interviews with more than 70 current and former Hanford workers, managers and health specialists. "Therefore, absent additional relevant and compelling information, we intend to close this case," wrote Friedman in a memo to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. He said he turned the report over to the U.S. attorney's office. Nevertheless, Friedman said the investigation revealed some concerns in the way Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, the contractor in charge of occupational medicine and hygiene services at the facility, has handled illness and injury complaints. Noting that many workers interviewed "had unresolved concerns" about safety, Friedman said that "management needs to intensify its efforts to improve employee confidence in the occupational health and safety program at Hanford." But on the allegations of criminal misconduct, the report said it found no evidence that HEHF altered or destroyed medical records, filed false injury reports or inflated the results of an annual performance assessment report to downplay illnesses and injuries. The report also cleared CH2M Hill, the contractor in charge of the tank cleanup program, of any criminal conduct involving ammonia vapor readings at the tank farm. Some workers had charged that the company had covered up excessively high vapor exposure readings. "The facts developed during the investigation did not substantiate criminal misconduct relating to alleged cover-ups of vapor readings," wrote Friedman. He said that the investigation produced "conflicting testimony" on the issue but that investigators could find "no independent corroborating evidence" to support the charges. Based on worker complaints, the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit watchdog group, in September 2003 listed 45 incidents of workers exposed to chemical vapors from underground tanks. In a previous report the IG said it had found two of the 45 incidents improperly classified and nonreportable. Bob Carpenter of the watchdog group said he was dismayed by the inspector general's findings and maintained that the investigators took no sworn testimony and "apparently ignored" much of the information provided by some of the workers. Abraham said in a statement that the inspector general's findings demonstrated that "worker protection is at a high level" at Hanford. But he said he has directed that recommendations made by this report as well as others be implemented "to further enhance worker protections." On the Net: Energy Department report: http://www.oa.doe.gov ---sbs---

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24. The Associated Press State & Local Wire,ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday, BC cycle,Ê5:17 AM Eastern Time,ÊState and Regional,Ê740 words,ÊProbes find no criminal misconduct in Hanford worker treatment,ÊBy JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer,ÊSPOKANE, Wash. Copyright 2004 Associated PressÊ All Rights Reserved The Associated Press State & Local Wire These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press June 3, 2004, Thursday, BC cycle 5:17 AM Eastern Time SECTION: State and Regional LENGTH: 740 words HEADLINE: Probes find no criminal misconduct in Hanford worker treatment BYLINE: By JOHN K. WILEY, Associated Press Writer DATELINE: SPOKANE, Wash. BODY: A watchdog group has expressed disappointment that an Energy Department investigation found no evidence of criminal misconduct by contractors accused of trying to cover up evidence of Hanford worker illnesses. The department's inspector general said Wednesday the investigation "did not substantiate criminal misconduct" related to any of the allegations by the Government Accountability Project. The report to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham dealt with allegations against a contractor who provides health services to workers cleaning up highly radioactive waste in 177 underground tanks at the Hanford nuclear reservation near Richland and a contractor in charge of that cleanup. "We're not overly surprised the IG is not finding anything, because we don't think they did a very good job," said Tom Carpenter, a Seattle lawyer with GAP's nuclear oversight campaign. "We feel that the investigation is essentially a disservice to the community. We're familiar with the evidence. We've taken sworn statements," Carpenter said. "A lot of that evidence was either ignored or not addressed." Carpenter said his group would continue its own investigation into the worker health and safety allegations. He said the state Department of Health and the national Occupational Safety and Health Administration are also investigating. Citing complaints from some of the workers, GAP had accused the contractors of altering or destroying health records, filing false injury reports and hiding questionable ammonia vapor readings involving the tank cleanup. In his report to Abraham, Inspector General Gregory Friedman said those allegations could not be substantiated, despite interviews with more than 70 current and former Hanford workers, managers and health specialists. Abraham released a statement saying he was pleased the investigations turned up no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Hanford contractors, and that there were no known cases of workers being exposed to excessive chemical vapors. Friedman said he intends to close the case but had turned the report over to the U.S. attorney's office. Nevertheless, Friedman said the investigation revealed some concerns in the way Hanford Environmental Health Foundation, the contractor in charge of occupational medicine and hygiene services, has handled illness and injury complaints. Noting that many workers interviewed "had unresolved concerns" about safety, Friedman said that "management needs to intensify its efforts to improve employee confidence in the occupational health and safety program at Hanford." Abraham said he will direct Energy officials to implement recommendations from Friedman's report to enhance worker protection. But on the allegations of criminal misconduct, the report said it found no evidence that HEHF altered or destroyed medical records, filed false injury reports or inflated the results of an annual performance assessment report to downplay illnesses and injuries. The report also cleared CH2M Hill Hanford Group, the contractor in charge of the tank cleanup program, of any criminal conduct involving ammonia vapor readings at the tank farm. "The facts developed during the investigation did not substantiate criminal misconduct relating to alleged cover-ups of vapor readings," Friedman wrote. The investigation produced "conflicting testimony" on the issue, but investigators could find "no independent corroborating evidence" to support the allegations, he wrote. A spokeswoman in Richland for CH2M Hill, Joy Turner, said Wednesday evening that the company did not get previews of the report, and could not comment on it until company officials had reviewed it. She said, though, that the company has made a number of improvements at the Hanford tank farm, including adding more than a dozen "hygiene staff" members, one of whom is an ombudsman to help workers through the process of making claims. Based on worker complaints, the Government Accountability Project in September 2003 listed 45 incidents of workers exposed to chemical vapors from underground tanks. In a previous report the IG said it had found two of the 45 incidents improperly classified and nonreportable. HEHF President and CEO Lee Ashjian said the report vindicates the medical foundation's staff. On the Net: Energy Department report: http://www.oa.doe.gov Government Accountability Project: http://www.whistleblower.org/ ---sbs---

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25. The Washington Post,ÊJune 3, 2004 Thursday,Ê Final Edition,ÊA Section; A17,Ê706 words,ÊEnergy IG Finds No Misconduct At Hanford; Separate Report Finds Fault With Contractor,ÊBlaine Harden, Washington Post Staff Writer,ÊSEATTLE June 2 Copyright 2004 The Washington Post The Washington Post June 3, 2004 Thursday Final Edition SECTION: A Section; A17 LENGTH: 706 words HEADLINE: Energy IG Finds No Misconduct At Hanford; Separate Report Finds Fault With Contractor BYLINE: Blaine Harden, Washington Post Staff Writer DATELINE: SEATTLE June 2 BODY: An investigation of contractors accused of altering medical records and covering up worker exposure to toxic vapors at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation has found no evidence of criminal misconduct, the Energy Department's inspector general said Wednesday. But a separate report on Hanford by the department's office of independent oversight has found "significant vulnerabilities" in efforts by CH2M Hill, a major contractor on the site, to protect workers from exposure to dangerous chemical vapors. Taken together, the federal investigations amount to a mixed report card on the behavior of contractors at Hanford, where the state Department of Health is continuing its investigation of alleged irregularities by doctors who cared for injured workers. Hanford, located beside the Columbia River in eastern Washington, is the nation's largest and most costly cleanup site. Radioactive waste left over from the Cold War production of plutonium is stored there in 177 underground tanks, many of which leak. It will take three more decades to finish the cleanup there, at a cost of about $2 billion a year. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, who requested both federal investigations in February after worker complaints were reported by a watchdog group and in the media, said he was "pleased" with the findings. The Government Accountability Project (GAP), the group that first raised questions about the Hanford cleanup in a report last fall, said it was "dismayed" by the inspector general's report and "vindicated" by the office of independent oversight. The group also expressed concern about the timing of the release of the two reports. The more positive inspector general's report was released early Wednesday and Abraham's public comments focus on its findings of "no criminal wrongdoing." The much more critical report, which was completed in April but not released until Wednesday, was posted on the department's Web site late in the day. "The fact that the department is playing games with the release of these reports makes me worry that there is no commitment at the secretary's level for reforming health and safety at Hanford," said Tom Carpenter, director of GAP's Nuclear Oversight Campaign. Inspector General Gregory H. Friedman said in his report that investigators interviewed more than 70 current and former workers at Hanford, but that "the facts developed during the investigation did not substantiate criminal misconduct." Perhaps the strongest allegations of misconduct in the GAP report were made against the private health clinic at Hanford, called Hanford Environmental Health Foundation. It alleged that doctors and staff at the clinic altered patient records to misrepresent and minimize vapor injuries to workers who clean up underground tanks. The inspector general's report did not find evidence supporting these charges. A number of current and former employees of the clinic, who said they had either falsified medical records themselves or were eyewitnesses to such conduct, gave sworn statements to GAP. Two former clinic employees told The Washington Post in February that they had been ordered by the medical director at HEHF, Larry Smick, to alter patient records to show that injuries were not related to work on the tank cleanup. Smick, who at the time denied altering any records, was not mentioned in the reports released Wednesday. The president of HEHF, Lee T. Ashjian, described the inspector general's report as "a vindication" against false charges brought by groups and individuals. "One can only hope that they will apologize to HEHF now as publicly as they have spoken out against HEHF in the past," Ashjian said. Under a decision announced before the Energy Department investigations began, HEHF is being replaced this month as the health care provider at Hanford. The inspector general also cleared CH2M Hill, the contractor in charge of tank cleanup, of allegations of covering up worker exposure to vapors around the tanks. But the office of oversight report singled out CH2M Hill for "too limited" testing of vapor dangers around the tanks and for work planning and safety controls that are "not sufficiently vigorous." CH2M Hill did respond to a request for comment on the reports. ---sbs---

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Patricia Daddona, The Day (New London CT)

2. The Day,ÊJune 3, 2004, Thursday,ÊNL-SECURITY-OFFICER-20040603,Ê236 words,ÊWaterford, Conn.-Area Firm's Security Officers' Union to Negotiate Contract,ÊBy Patricia Daddona Copyright 2004ÊKnight Ridder/Tribune Business News Copyright 2004ÊThe Day Ê The Day June 3, 2004, Thursday KR-ACC-NO: NL-SECURITY-OFFICER-20040603 LENGTH: 236 words HEADLINE: Waterford, Conn.-Area Firm's Security Officers' Union to Negotiate Contract BYLINE: By Patricia Daddona BODY: ÊWATERFORD, Conn. -- Union representatives for security officers at Millstone Power Station are meeting with the workers' employer, a private contractor, on Monday to renegotiate a three-year contract. The union includes about 125 security guards and officers, said Larry R. Ferris, the director of the United Government Security Officers of America, Local 19. UGSOA will be representing the workers at three days of talks at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Hartford, Ferris said. The contractor, Securitas Security Services USA Inc. of Sweden, employs the security force on behalf of Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, which owns Millstone. The current contract, the union's second, expires on June 15, Ferris said. Like any union, Millstone workers' chief concerns are wages and benefits, but those issues will be negotiated in a post 9/11 world, where security concerns have increased at nuclear power plants that could be targets of terrorism, Ferris said. UGSOA represents 8,000 people in more than 135 security forces at power plants across the U.S. and around the world, including Three Mile Island, Vermont Yankee and plants in Guam, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, Ferris said. The firm is based in Westminster, Colo. Officials at the Securitas office in New London could not be reached for comment. ----- To see more of The Day, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.theday.com ---sbs---

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