------- Index of Articles

NUCLEAR

*Russia freezes controversial laser deal with Iran
*Russia Freezes Laser Deal With Iran
*High energy costs cast new light on nuclear power
*U.S. Senate votes China Trade Bill
*A Broker in South Asia
*Over Saddam's Barrel
*Cheney Attacks Clinton's Dealings With Iraq
*N. Korea Improving Military
*Cohen: N. Korea Still Poses Threat
*Energy Dept. to release list of firms
*sites where radioactive and toxic materials might have been processed
*Energy Dept. Posts Weapons Site List
*Nuclear Worker Compensation Urged
*Local nuclear science expertise may immobilise US plutonium
*Unleashing `Mini-Nukes' Will Bring Dire Consequences

MILITARY
*Kidnapping and Hijacking Threaten Colombia's Peace Efforts
*In U.S., Top Iran Aide Has Travel Rules Eased
*Iran Test - Fires Missile
*Iran Celebrates Iran/Iraq War
*South Korean Aide Resigns Over Loan Accusations
*U.S. TROOPS TO STAY
*Fourteen NATO, Western leaders sentenced to 20 years imprisonment
*MYANMAR: LAUREATE'S NEW TRAVEL PLAN
*Gunmen seize hostages in S. Russia
*From Russia with love
*Teen Gets 6 Months for Hacking NASA
*Space Shuttle Returns in a Night Landing
*India Withdrawing Troops in Africa
*Taliban Open a Campaign to Gain Status at the U.N.
*AFRICA SIERRA LEONE: DELAY ON U.N. FORCE
*Indonesian militias threaten year-old U.N. bid
*India plans pullout from Sierra Leone
*Military Backs Ex-Guard Pilot Over Pvt. Gore
*Funds Low for Hawaii Island Cleanup
*Retired Air Force Col. Roger Lempke
*Counting the cost

OTHER
*Watering his cows with help from the sun
*Israel's Solel opens industrial solar energy centre
*Pesticide Spraying in City Is Illegal, Lawyer Argues
*Cleanup Fights Hillbilly Stereotype
*3 million gallons of sewage that spilled into the Santa Margarita River
*Alaska's black gold
*Department of arson
*IMF Chief Steps Up Call To Increase Euro's Value
*IMF Director Vows to Double Number of Debt-Relief Nations
*Chinese See Pain as Well as Profit in New Trade Era
*Los Angeles Agrees to Changes for Police
*Mission: Possible
*Explosion Damages Headquarters of British Intelligence Agency
*Projectile fired at British spy HQ
*Terrorists may have used rocket launcher
*Iran spy case sentences cut
*Iran Court Is Set to Rule on Jews' Appeal
*Iranian court reduces sentences for 10 Jews
*Mysterious blast hits London spy center
*How the New York Times helped railroad Wen Ho Lee
*Secret costs
*'We Will Free Our Brothers'
*America Is a Main Target for International Terrorism
*Spain's Battle Against Terrorism
*Terror Suspect Had Been an Informer

ACTIVISTS
*Demonstration for Vieques, Puerto Rico
*LUXEMBOURG: FUEL CONFERENCE
*Bolivian army poised to battle protesters





<a name="nuclear"></a>
-------- NUCLEAR (by country)

Russia freezes controversial laser deal with Iran

CNN
September 21, 2000
http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/meast/09/21/russia.iran.laser.reut/index.html

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russia has frozen a contract to sell laser equipment to Iran because of U.S. concern about technology transfers to the Islamic republic, a Russian government official said on Thursday.

Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry announced the freeze two days after a White House spokesman said that Moscow had suspended the deal at U.S. President Bill Clinton's urging because of concern that the equipment could help Tehran produce nuclear weapons.

"As regards the laser equipment at issue, a freeze has been placed on the contract in question with Iran," Ministry spokesman Yuri Bespalko said by telephone.

"We believe the equipment intended for Iran does not fall under the limitations of international export regulations. But, given the sensitive nature of the issue, especially on the part of the United States, for the moment the question is being dealt with by two commissions -- one Russian, one American."

The two commissions, he said, were expected to present their conclusions soon.

In St Petersburg, Russia's second city, the head of the institute due to supply the equipment said that it produced isotopes for medical use and slammed the U.S. stance.

"They (the United States) are linking this to production of nuclear weapons but in essence this is a fight for markets," Boris Yatsenko, director of the Science and Technology Centre of Microtechnology in St Petersburg, said by telephone.

"This is normal teaching equipment, used strictly for medicine. It certainly cannot be used to make weapons-grade uranium. I think our nuclear scientists will soon make it known that such a great stupidity should never have been thought up."

He said the technology could, in theory, produce fuel for a civil nuclear reactor, but the process would be very expensive.

White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said Clinton had raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the July Group of Eight summit in Japan and at this month's U.N. Millennium summit.

U.S. sees no commercial use

A U.S. official contacted by Reuters said that officials had determined that the equipment had "no commercial application" and could not be used in commercial reactors.

Russia's relations with Iran and its insistence on pursuing commercial deals, particularly in the nuclear sphere, have been a source of irritation to Washington.

Russia has pursued a deal to help build a reactor at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power station despite Washington's insistence that Tehran could use the technology to produce nuclear weapons.

Bespalko said there were inherent guarantees for Iran's use of technology as it was a member of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency and therefore subject to periodic inspections of its civil nuclear sites.

Contact has increased between Washington and Tehran in recent months and their foreign ministers attended a U.N. meeting in New York devoted to Afghanistan earlier this month.

But Washington still puts Iran in a group with Iraq and North Korea of countries it views as unpredictable, with possible intentions of acquiring nuclear weapons technology.

Mikhail Pogorely, editor of the periodical "Nuclear Safety," saw no direct link to weapons production, but said Iran could still benefit from the technology.

"There is no clear answer here," he said. "I think the technology on its own cannot simply be turned into nuclear weapons, but once people start learning the alphabet, you can't stop them from learning the rest on their own."

(Additional reporting by Konstantin Trifonov in St Petersburg)

---

Russia Freezes Laser Deal With Iran

New York Times
September 21, 2000 Filed at 10:42 a.m. ET
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Russia-Iran.html

MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia has frozen a deal to sell laser technology to Iran -- equipment the United States said could be adapted to a nuclear weapons program.

Yuri Bespalko, chief of the Atomic Energy Ministry's press service, said Russia was suspending deliveries to Iran of laser technology for scientific and medical purposes.

``We think that the equipment meant for Iran does not fall under the limits of the international exports regime,'' Bespalko said Thursday. ``Nevertheless, the topic is sensitive, especially for the United States, and a decision has been made to give the issue more consideration.''

Iran maintains the technology it seeks from the Yefremov Scientific Research Institute of St. Petersburg would be used for peaceful purposes.

Boris Yatsenko, director of the Microtechnology Center at the Yefremov Institute, said his institute's lasers were meant exclusively for scientific and medical purposes.

``This deal has a purely commercial purpose, but at the moment the deal is frozen and a special commission has been set up by the Atomic Energy Ministry to consider all the deal's details,'' he said.

Officials in Washington said this week that they believe the laser technology could be used to split isotopes and was recognized internationally as sensitive nuclear technology.

Yatsenko said his institute's lasers were not that powerful.

``Neither the Soviet Union nor Russia has ever developed laser technology to split uranium isotopes,'' he said. ``It is senseless to speak about the possibility of exporting such a laser technology, since nobody in the world has it.''

Bespalko said the deal could be revived if the Atomic Energy Ministry commission and U.S. government experts determine it would be impossible to use Russian lasers for military purposes.

-------- business

High energy costs cast new light on nuclear power

USA: September 21, 2000
Story by Janet McGurty
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=8268

NEW YORK - A revival may be afoot in the U.S. electrical generating industry to bring nuclear power back from exile - with the country facing an energy crunch much as it did during the oil shortages of the 1970s, when the decisions were made to build a wave of new nuclear plants.

This year, oil prices have surged to 10-year highs. Natural gas prices have doubled from last year and peaked at record levels. And power shortages caused by lack of generation capacity have caused electrical brownouts and more than doubled consumer prices.

Partly because of the uncertainty of how deregulation of the electric markets would treat the capital invested in building new power plants, many U.S. utilities adopted a wait-and-see attitude to constructing new facilities of any kind over the past decade.

As a result, demand has been growing three times faster than generation capacity over the last 10 years, according to the Edison Electric Institute, an industry group for publicly held electric utilities.

These nationwide shortages are making nuclear plants still in operation important pieces of the 2000 power generation puzzle, and as a result are getting a new lease on life.

"The key point is that the existing fleet of nuclear facilities, because of operating performance and changes in the energy market, look likely to be sustainable through their license period," said Tom Robinson, managing director of Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA).

And the unlikely idea of building new nuclear power plants is now back on the drawing board after more than 20 years - at least for some nuclear proponents. Even the specter of nuclear accidents may be less of a hurdle than it had been in the recent past, though high costs could still temper some enthusiasm.

EXISTING NUKES BEGIN RELICENSING PROCESS

There are 103 nuclear power units currently in operation in the United States, each under a 40-year license. Of those, Constellation Energy's two units at Calvert Cliffs, Md., and the three-unit Duke Energy Co. Oconee in South Carolina have already received 20-year license extensions from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the federal agency that regulates the nuclear power industry.

The remainder of the plants are expected to file for their extensions. Carolina Power and Light , a subsidiary of CP&L Energy Inc., has signalled its intention to do so for its three units.

"This is economic because the the capital costs have been amortized to practically zero," Daniele Seitz, utility analyst at UBS Warburg, said.

And these existing nuclear power plants are very economical to operate, cheaper than natural gas and cleaner than coal.

CLEAN, COST-COMPETITIVE ENERGY

"Nuclear energy is already extremely cost-competitive. With nuclear energy you don't have the volatility of fuel costs," Steve Kerekes of industry group Nuclear Energy Institute said, adding the nuclear energy, which makes 20 percent of total U.S. electricity, is the leading provider of emission-free power in the country.

Although the final production numbers for 1999 are not in yet, nuclear energy costs, which include fuel, operations and maintenance, will be 1.7 to 1.8 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh). That is about on par with coal and at least 1 cent lower than natural gas even before factoring in the price volatility the commodity has shown over the past year, according Kerekes.

Besides the price volatility of natural gas, there are supply issues looming as well.

A recent report by CERA sees a "surprising disconnect" between the declining trend for natural gas exploration and production and the increasing use of natural gas fired generation, which is to supply 95 percent of new and currently under construction generation plants.

Although about half of electricity generated in the nation is from coal, some of these plants - many in the Midwest - face environmental action because of air pollution.

"There is no way the United States can meet its economic and environmental goals without the use of nuclear power," the Nuclear Energy Institute's Kerekes said.

SAFER DESIGNS, BETTER REGULATIONS

Since 1979, every nuclear reactor proposed in the United States has been turned down by regulators.

But industry proponents say new designs as well as increased safety regulations for existing plants have come along way since America's worst nuclear accident occurred at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island in 1979. Operator error exacerbated a switch failure that pushed temperatures up to the point where the core almost melted and released radioactivity into the atmosphere.

Currently in use are NRC-certified design advances, some of which use natural forces like gravity and convection to cut down on pumps and wiring found in the more traditional pressurized water reactors and the boiling water reactors, are less prone to failure, proponents say.

British National Fuel Corp.'s Westinghouse Electric unit has a 600 megawatt (MW) advanced light water nuclear power plant, certified by the NRC, which relies greatly on new design using passive systems that require less wiring and piping. Such units are currently in operation in Japan and South Korea.

However, industry watchdog Public Citizen says the nuclear industry is not operating better, the NRC is just regulating less. The NRC has already removed 40 percent of the reasons to shut down a reactor, it says.

VIABILITY OF NEW PLANTS

"If you were to build two 600 MW units at an existing nuclear power plant, where you already have the permit, licensing and public acceptance, it would cost $1.8 billion in overnight construction," Vaughn Gilbert of Westinghouse Electric Co. said, adding it would take about 36 months from pouring the concrete to start-up.

Current construction costs would be about $1,500 per kilowatt and operating costs would be about 4.1 cents per kwh, Gilbert said. The cost to build a natural gas plant is about $400 per kilowatt, according to both Seitz and CERA.

"To make it (a nuclear plant) competitive, you have to use a cookie-cutter approach, and the cost will likely come down the more you build," Gilbert said.

Philadelphia-based PECO Energy Co. , which has been touted by industry analysts as one of the companies running profitable, well-maintained nuclear plants, believes the shortage of electrical generating capacity currently facing the United States could make new nuclear projects a viable part of the solution.

"In the intermediate term, the four year period and beyond, I think it will be," said Corbin A. McNeill Jr., chairman, chief executive and president of PECO Energy.

He also sees new designs outside of the traditional approaches as more palatable to the American public, mentioning that PECO has a small part of a nuclear joint venture with a South African utility for a pebble-bed plant, which uses heated helium to run the turbine.

But some see continued economic and environmental obstacles in the path of developing new nuclear generation.

"There is no way you can start a nuclear plant without fuel costs being so absolutely onerous that no one can afford them. And there is finally a concern about the environment that pollution has to be controlled more than it has so far," Seitz said.

And while nuclear power makes makes emission free electricity, there is still the thorny issue of the long-term disposal of nuclear waste to be resolved.

"As soon as the nuclear waste problem is solved, nuclear plants will be back in the agenda, but that may be some time," CERA's Robinson said.

-------- china

U.S. Senate votes China Trade Bill

The Hindu
Thursday, September 21, 2000
By Sridhar Krishnaswami
http://www.indiaserver.com/thehindu/2000/09/21/stories/03210001.htm

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 20. The U.S. Senate has voted decisively in favour of the China Trade Bill with 83 law-makers going along with the legislation and only 15 voting against it. The President, Mr. Bill Clinton, who has been lobbying for the Bill at every available opportunity, has said this will promote prosperity in the U.S. and freedom in China.

The Congressional granting of the Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) means that the annual ritual of extending the Most Favoured Nation status is no longer on the cards. Conservatives on Capitol Hill have been using these occasions to lash out at Beijing on a range of issues, notably human rights, democracy, Taiwan and Tibet. The stage is now set for China's entry into the World Trade Organisation.

``In return for normal trade relations, China will open its markets to American products from wheat to cars to consulting services and we will be far more able to sell goods in China without moving our factories there,'' Mr. Clinton said. One estimate is that American exports to China could be boosted by about US$ 13 billions in five years, with farm exports alone showing a rise of US$ 2 billions yearly. This would cut down China's trade surplus with the U.S., nearly US$ 68 billions.

The Clinton Administration, led by the President, has been making the point that the PNTR and WTO membership would have a profound effect on the people of China. ``Outside competition will speed the demise of China's huge state industries and spur the enterprise of the private sector involvement. They will diminish the role of government in people's daily lives,'' the President said. The legislation now goes to the White House for Mr. Clinton's signature.

But the provision for a Congressional-Executive Commission to monitor human rights in China has attracted criticism from it; and at another level the Bill calls for a mechanism to help American industries that are being hurt by Chinese imports. Beijing has said that the legislation contains ``certain clauses that are irrelevant to trade and are intended for interfering in the internal affairs of China and harming China's interests''.

The PNTR was strongly supported by the big business which saw newer opportunities in a mega market that was going to be more tightly governed by a rules based system. But labour and human rights groups have been opposing the PNTR and questioned the linkage between the passage of the bill and the improvement in Beijing's track record on human rights and governance. In specific terms, labour leaders have said that it would have an adverse impact on the U.S. where upto 150,000 textile related jobs could be at stake.

Human rights and democracy were not the only issues that were of concern to law makers. China's proliferation of nuclear technology, missile and missile technology to such countries as Pakistan and Iran became a matter of serious concern and debate on Capitol Hill. The argument of those who favoured slapping Beijing with punitive measures basically stemmed from a perception that Beijing has not lived up to international agreements or bilateral commitments.

It was not the die-hard conservative Republicans alone who were opposing the PNTR in the Senate and had sought to complicate matters by insisting on a raft of Amendments. ``The signal we send by granting PNTR now is a signal of abject weakness. It is a signal of greed. It is a signal of ambivalence on the issue of non-proliferation,'' said the Democratic Senator, Mr. Robert Byrd.

Rights Watch slams Bill

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 20. Human Rights Watch has expressed disappointment over the U.S. Senate vote without any human rights conditions attached.

``Congress and the administration should have used the PNTR leverage to get some human rights improvements first, before giving up the annual review process,'' said Mr. Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington director for Asia at Human Rights Watch.

``The timing of the PNTR vote is particularly unfortunate, just as human rights conditions are worsening. Beijing is closing down all channels of political dissent including on the Internet - even while it's opening up its economy.''

-------- india / pakistan

A Broker in South Asia

New York Times
September 21, 2000
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/opinion/L21PAK.html

To the Editor:
Re "A `Tilt' Toward India" (editorial, Sept. 20):

Our new closeness with India does not have to be at the expense of our longtime ally Pakistan. With their fingers on the nuclear trigger, both Pakistan and India must be regarded as true nuclear powers, and it is in our interest to see strong and stable governments in both of these countries.

We must share some responsibility for the current political and economic environment of Pakistan, in the aftermath of its experience with the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. We should also try to preserve our role as an impartial broker in any future discussions between these two countries on the volatile issue of Kashmir.

ABDUL REHMAN Staten Island, Sept. 20, 2000

-------- iraq

Over Saddam's Barrel

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By WILLIAM SAFIRE
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/opinion/21SAFI.html

WASHINGTON - Nervous Nellie is worried about the strike by gas-gouged truckers in France and the panic buying of petrol by drivers in Britain. Nellie's fears are compounded by the rising price of gasoline in the U.S.

Be calm, replies Rosie Scenario. The tripling of the price of oil to $35 a barrel will soon be rolled back by increased production from our sensible friends in OPEC.

Nervous Nellie presses: What if Saddam Hussein crosses everybody up and reduces his sale of almost three million barrels a day, thereby punishing the West by pushing prices even higher?

That would be foolish of him, Rosie replies. Turning off the spigot would further impoverish the Iraqi people.

But that never bothered him before, counters Nellie. And by keeping oil prices up, he would greatly please the Russians, whose economy is being saved only by the high price of their main export. Russian technology and scientists in Iraq already help make it possible for inspection- free Saddam to build weapons of mass destruction and buy missiles to deliver them.

Relax, says Rosie, a little testily. Even if the price of oil stays sky- high, that does not mean it would cause inflation, triggering higher interest rates, then a stock market drop followed by recession.

Nellie: But isn't that what happened last time?

Rosie: That was then, when we were all hung up on the business cycle. Rest assured that the New Economy can withstand oil shocks, bursting bubbles and all the ills that flesh is heir to.

Nellie: But there has to be something the president can do. What if October gets cold in Connecticut and the price of heating oil is out of sight?

Rosie: No problem - we dump our strategic oil reserve on the market and call it the Lieberman solution. Good quick fix that gets us past the election.

Nellie: But what about a war shock on top of an oil price shock? Saddam is saying that OPEC should defy superpowers, and claims that Kuwait is stealing his oil by drilling slantwise. Isn't that what he said last time, just before he started the gulf war?

Rosie: It's a bluff. Here is a statement from Gen. Paul Mikolashek of the U.S. Central Command, an unbeatable force stretched from Pakistan to Egypt. "I see a lot of rhetoric . . . [Saddam's] armed forces have been degraded." Not to worry. "Degraded" is Pentagonese for "hurt" and shows that the jargon of our military mind is invincible.

Nellie: Like how many troops do we have there? It took over half a million to stop Saddam last time.

Rosie: We have 4,500 troops in Kuwait, a couple of Patriot batteries, an Apache helicopter unit, plus an air base to patrol the no-fly zone. Maybe 15,000 more troops floating around nearby.

Nellie: That's going to stop the whole Iraqi Army? Apaches that couldn't take off in Kosovo?

Rosie: Look, if Saddam miscalculated again, we'd reassemble the Grand Coalition, call up our reserves, and send in CNN's Bernard Shaw to narrate the bombing of Baghdad - the whole nine-yard megillah.

Nellie: Bill Clinton would do that?

Rosie: All from upward of 50,000 feet, with not one U.S. casualty.

Nellie: But what if Saddam says he has the Bomb? And says he's willing to commit suicide but would take Tel Aviv or New York along with him? It may be a bluff, but he's had years to build a nuclear or biological bomb in secret, and I'd hate to be the president to take the chance. We have no defense against a single missile, you know.

Rosie: Get over your nightmares. After we call his military bluff, we'll get next week's G-7 meeting to demand the oil cartel cut prices to $20 a barrel. Then it's world prosperity as far as the ear can hear.

Who's right, Rosie Scenario or Nervous Nellie? I say we should hope for the best and prepare for the worst. That means asking this president and the candidates to take his place: What if? Are we ready?

Let each cool-headed debater say during those 90 unforgiving minutes how he would deal with Saddam's economic and military threats. As Kipling never wrote: If you can keep your head while all others about you are losing theirs - perhaps you don't understand the seriousness of the situation.

---

Cheney Attacks Clinton's Dealings With Iraq

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By MICHAEL COOPER
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/politics/21CHEN.html

ALBUQUERQUE, Sept. 20 - Using the same language that some critics used against him and former President George Bush after the Persian Gulf war nearly 10 years ago, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney today accused the Clinton administration of letting Saddam Hussein "slip off the hook" by avoiding weapons inspections.

"For a period of time there, in the aftermath of the gulf war, we had a very robust inspection regime under way," Mr. Cheney said. "We had people in there all the time, checking out, making certain that he wasn't going back trying to rebuild his biological and chemical capabilities."

"Now," he said, "we've seen a situation develop in which he's kicked out all the inspectors and this administration appears to be helpless to do anything about it. We're at the point where I think we have not seen the kind of aggressive, effective leadership that President Bush provided with respect to the coalition."

Mr. Cheney made the charge at a campaign stop in Lancaster, Calif., that began with a teary recollection of the day the ground war began in the Persian Gulf. His words were reminiscent of critics of the Bush administration, who said it let Mr. Hussein off the hook by ending the war while he was still in power.

Mr. Cheney made the accusation against President Clinton in response to a question from the audience after he delivered a speech on the need for increasing the military's research and development budget. The campaign chose Lancaster for the speech because it is in the middle of California's Antelope Valley, a hub of the aerospace industry.

Surrounding himself with former pilots and astronauts - including Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon, and Col. Gordon Fullerton, a retired space shuttle commander - Mr. Cheney declared, "These individuals had the right stuff, but they also had the right support."

Later, speaking at a solar cell factory here, he criticized aspects of the United States mission to Somalia, saying that the troops did not get all the necessary equipment and that the objective was at times "fuzzy."

In past appearances, Mr. Cheney has been questioned on why the Bush administration did not continue the gulf war until Mr. Hussein was driven from power. He has answered that the object was to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, not to depose Mr. Hussein, and that the international coalition would have been pulled apart if the United States had continued.

The United States and Iraq have long tussled over arms inspections, and in late 1998, the United States and Britain conducted four nights of air strikes to punish Mr. Hussein's government for its refusal to cooperate with inspectors. Since then, the administration has grown increasingly reluctant to consider force. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright said last week that the United States would not use force to make Iraq allow inspections to resume.

The gulf war was on people's minds from the beginning of the day. Mr. Cheney was introduced here, as he often is, by his wife, Lynne, who enjoys telling anecdotes about him along the campaign trail. Today her voice began to quaver as she spoke about the morning after the ground war in the gulf began and recounted a quiet trip she and her husband made to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington.

"Gosh, I'm getting teary just thinking about this," Mrs. Cheney said.

Mr. Cheney, who removed his glasses and wiped his eyes before speaking, said, "Lynne, we're going to have to work on that introduction some."

-------- korea

Report: N. Korea Improving Military

New York Times
September 21, 2000 Filed at 5:50 p.m. ET
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-North-Korea-Military.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Despite its severe economic crisis, North Korea has made major military improvements including placing large numbers of artillery guns and rocket launchers near the Demilitarized Zone that separates communist North from the U.S.-backed South Korea, a Pentagon report says.

While noting the positive outcome of a North-South summit meeting in June, the Pentagon report to Congress described North Korean President Kim Jong-il as bent on bolstering his nation's preparedness for war.

The North is in position to mount a major attack against the outnumbered army of South Korea ``with minimal additional preparation, although at great risk,'' the report said. It did not predict renewed war between the Koreas, but stressed that ``the Korean Peninsula remains a dangerous theater.''

The report was provided to the House and Senate armed services committees. A copy was provided to The Associated Press on Thursday.

In assessing positive signs of change, 50 years after the start of the Korean War, the report said the June summit meeting between Kim and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung holds the promise of reconciliation.

But it added that there are no firm indicators that the communist North is ready to turn away from its long-standing goal of reunifying the Koreas by force, or that it is undertaking true economic reforms.

Speaking in Seoul on Thursday after talks with his South Korean counterpart, Defense Secretary William Cohen echoed the main themes of the report to Congress. He said North Korea's chemical, biological, nuclear and long-range missile programs continue to pose a threat to South Korea and the United States.

Cohen noted, however, that the first-ever meeting next week between the defense ministers of South and North Korea could set the stage for significant progress on reducing the threat of war.

The major components of North Korea's economy -- power generation and distribution, communications and transportation -- are failing. If economic conditions worsen, ``we must consider that the North Korean economy could break down completely,'' precipitating social chaos, the report said.

If that happens, there likely would be a flood of refugees and the potential for a military coup or civil war, it added. On the other hand, the economic aid the North will receive as a result of the June summit makes this scenario less likely, it said.

The report made these other points:

--Fully 70 percent of the North's active-duty force is situated within 100 miles of the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, that was created as a buffer zone when the Korean War ended in a truce in July 1953. That means there are about 700,000 troops, 8,000 artillery guns and 2,000 tanks near the DMZ.

--Large numbers of long-range 240mm multiple rocker launcher systems and 170mm self-propelled artillery guns have been moved to sheltered sites near the DMZ within the last year. The North also has placed more anti-tank barriers in that area and produced more fighter aircraft in the last year.

--The North is expanding its ammunition and equipment storage capacities by building additional underground and sheltered facilities near the DMZ. Current ammunition stockpiles are estimated at over 1 million tons. A major war reserve of petroleum exists in the North despite the country's severe fuel shortages.

--Applying lessons learned from the U.S. military campaigns against Iraq in 1991 and Yugoslavia in 1999, the North has modified key defense facilities, dispersed its forces and improved its camouflage and concealment effort.

--The South Korean armed forces are smaller in number than the North's, but when combined with the 37,000 American forces stationed in the South they have a qualitative advantage. The South's army numbers 560,000 troops, not counting a reserve force of 3 million.

---

Cohen: N. Korea Still Poses Threat

New York Times
September 21, 2000 Filed at 1:25 p.m. ET
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-SKorea-US.html

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Communist North Korea still poses a military threat, but a planned meeting between defense ministers of two Koreas could help reduce tension in the region, Defense Secretary William Cohen said Thursday.

``North Korea's chemical, biological, nuclear and long-range missile programs continue to pose a threat to South Korea, the U.S. and other countries in the region,'' Cohen said during a visit to South Korea, where 37,000 U.S. troops are based as a deterrent against the North.

But he noted the first-ever meeting next week between the defense ministers of South and North Korea could set the stage for significant progress on reducing the threat of war.

``They will hopefully discuss ways in which there can be a consideration of so-called confidence-building measures,'' said Cohen, who arrived in Japan late Thursday.

The Sept. 25-26 talks between South Korean Defense Minister Cho Sung-tae and Kim Il Chul, minister for the People's Army of North Korea, are among the most notable steps toward reconciliation since leaders of the two countries held a historic summit in June.

In further efforts to break out of its isolation, North Korea has proposed to open diplomatic ties with nine European countries and the European Union, the communist state's official news agency reported Thursday.

Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun sent letters carrying the proposal to his counterparts in Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain and Britain and the external relations commissioner of the European Commission -- the head office of the European Union, according to KCNA, the North's official foreign news outlet.

In January, Italy established diplomatic ties with North Korea, becoming the sixth European country to open relations with Pyongyang after Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark and Austria.

At a joint news conference with Cohen, Cho said his North Korean counterpart had proposed only that they discuss how their forces can help to reconnect a cross-border railway and build a highway linking the two countries.

``I have some reservations and doubts about how far we can move on confidence-building measures at our first meeting,'' Cho said.

The negotiations, to be held on South Korea's resort island of Cheju, are among contacts under way between two once bitterly opposed nations that fought a war half a century ago that left several million people dead and ended in a truce agreement.

There are still no means of inter-Korean communication or travel for ordinary citizens, and huge armies stand ready along either side of the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, along the border. Periodic infiltrations and clashes have flared over the years.

Some observers have warned that the clearing of mines at the DMZ before the resumption of rail traffic might facilitate any Northern plans for an invasion of the South. The possibility seemed remote, but Cho said South Korea was taking no chances.

``We will of course make sure that we prepare adequate military readiness for any kind of contingencies,'' he said. ``Those preparations include troops, firing power and also obstacles.''

Cohen's trip to Seoul, part of a regional tour, was designed to reaffirm the longtime U.S.-South Korean alliance in the face of the Korean peninsula's rapid swing toward reconciliation.

A small group of South Korean activists have suggested inter-Korean rapprochement makes the U.S. military presence unnecessary, but Seoul and Washington agree that American troops help guarantee regional security and should stay even after reunification.

``We would expect to remain for the indefinite future,'' Cohen said.

Cohen and Cho discussed plans to revise the Status of Forces Agreement, an agreement governing the conduct of U.S. forces in South Korea that some domestic critics say is too lenient.

They also talked about the need to swiftly conclude investigations by both their governments of an alleged mass killing of civilian refugees by U.S. soldiers in the early days of the 1950-53 Korean War. Seoul and Washington launched inquiries after The Associated Press reported it last year.

-------- u.s. nuc facilities

Energy Dept. to release list of firms

USA Today
09/21/00- Updated 08:52 AM ET
By Peter Eisler, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/news/poison/022.htm

WASHINGTON - The Energy Department on Thursday will release the names and locations of more than 550 companies, research sites and other places across the nation where radioactive and toxic materials may have been secretly processed for the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

The list was obtained Wednesday by USA TODAY. Its publication follows a USA TODAY investigation that detailed the government's extensive use of private companies for nuclear arms work.

That investigation, published earlier this month, turned up about 300 private contractors that did weapons work. It also revealed that unwitting workers at many sites were exposed to extreme radiation and chemical hazards and that many companies dumped hazardous waste into surrounding communities.

While the federal plants and labs in the database have been publicly known for years, this is the first time the government has released a comprehensive list that includes commercial facilities.

The list is being released on the day of a House hearing on legislation that would for the first time provide government compensation to weapons workers with illnesses linked to exposure to radioactive and toxic material. It's likely to raise questions about whether the bill, which mainly promises aid to workers at federal sites, should provide more guarantees of coverage for workers at the private facilities.

---

Companies and research sites where radioactive and toxic materials might have been processed secretly

USA Today
09/21/00- Updated 12:32 PM ET
http://www.usatoday.com/news/poison/023.htm

This is a list of more than 550 sites where the Department of Energy either knows work was performed for the nuclear weapons program or where questions have been raised about whether such work was done. At some of these sites, past investigations have concluded that no radioactive material was handled. At other sites, past investigations have concluded that weapons work was not done.

However, there are questions about whether the conclusions reached at some sites during previous investigations are accurate. DOE is reexamining records at many sites. Officials also say they are developing a plan to address worker safety and environmental questions at many of the sites.

As it becomes available, more information will be posted on a public database that Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has ordered be created on the DOE's Web site: www.doe.gov. The DOE provided no information about Oklahoma and Vermont. Sites are presented in the order they appear on the DOE's list:

ALABAMA
Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals
Alabama Oralmince Works, Sylacauga
Southern Research Institute, Birmingham

ALASKA
Amchitka Island Test Center

ARIZONA
Monument Valley Mill
Tuba City Mill and AEC Ore Buying Station
University of Arizona, Tucson
Cameron StationGlobe (Cutter) AEC Ore Buying Station

ARKANSAS
none

CALIFORNIA
Mare Island Navy Yard
Northrap Aircraft , Hawthorne
Shannon Luminous Metals, Hollywood
Stanford University, Microwave Laboratory
University of California, Davis
Arthur D. Little, San Francisco
Dow Chemical, Walnut Creek
University of California-Berkeley (Gilman Hall)
California Institute of Technology Lab. For Energy
Related-Health Research, Davis
Univ. of California-Berkeley
Naval Ordnance Test Station, lnyorkend/China Lake
North American Aviation, Downey
Electro Circuits, Pasadena
Santa Susana Field Lab, Canoga Park
Burris Park Field Station, Kingsburg
Hunter Douglas Aluminum Division of Bridgeport Brass, Riverside
Stauffer Metals, Richmond
General Electric, San Jose

COLORADO
American Smelting and Refining, Grand Junction
Bureau of Mines, Denver
Climax Uranium, Grand Junction
Denver Equipment
Durango Mill
Gunnison Mill
Maybell Mill
Naurita Mill
Project Rio Blanco
Project Rulison, Garfield County
Rifle Mill
Colorado School of Mines, Golden
Uravan Mill
Loma Mill
Gateway Mill
Vanadium Mill
Rocky Mountain Research, Denver
Hendricks Mill
Slick Rock
Marion Mill Site, Boulder
Colonial Uranium
Shattuck Chemical, Denver
Coors Porcelain, Golden
University of Denver Research Institute

CONNECTICUT
Metals Selling, Putnam
New England Lime, Canaan
Olin Matheson, New Haven
Anaconda, Watebury
Seymour SpecialtyWire
Combustion Engineering, Windsor
Pratt & Whitney CANEL Facility, Middletown
Yale Heavy Ion Linear Accelerator
Bridgeport Brass Havens Lab
Sperry Products, Branbury
New Canaan
Torrington
Nelco Metals, Canaan
Fenn Machinery, Hartford
Wesleyan University, Middletown
American Cyanamid, Stamford
Dorr, Stamford
American Chain and Cable, Bridgeport

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Naval Gun Factory and Bureau of Ordnance
National Bureau of Standards, Van Ness
Naval Research Laboratory

DELAWARE
Allied Chemical and Dye, North Claymont

FLORIDA
University of Miami
U. S. Steel, USS Agrichemical Div., Ridgewood
International Minerals and Chemical, Mulberry
C. F. Industries, Bartow
W. R. Grace Co., Agricultural Chemical Div., Ridgewood
Gardinier, Tampa
Conserv, Nichols
General Electric, St. Petersburg
Humphreys Gold, Jacksonville
University of Florida, Gainesville

GEORGIA
none

HAWAII
none

IDAHO
Lommon Mill

ILLINOIS
Allied Chemical, Metropolis
ElMCO, Palatine
Granite City Army Depot
Hydroblast, Chicago
Midwest Manufacturing, Galesbury
Morse Chemical, Chicago
Sciaky Brothers, Chicago
Swenson Evaporator
Wycoff Drawn Steel, Chicago
Billings Hospital, Small Animal Facility, Chicago
GSA 39TH Street Warehouse, Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
Palos Park Forest Preserve Site, Chicago
National Guard Armory, Chicago
University of Chicago
Olin Mathieson, Joliet
Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago
Rock Island Arsenal
Lindsay Light and Chemical, w. Chicago
Quality Hardware and Machine, Chicago
W. E. Pratt Manufacturing, Joliet
Crane, Chicago
Heavy Minerals, Chicago
International Register, Chicago
Fansteel Metallurgical, N. Chicago
Armour Research Foundation, Chicago
International Mineral & Chemical, Chicago
Kaiser Aluminum, Dalton
Precision Extrusion, Bensinville
Great Lakes Carbon, Chicago
Podbeliniac, Chicago
Swenson Evaporator
American Machine and Metals, E. Moline
Vapofier, Blue Island
Spectrulite Consortium, Madison
R. Krasburg and Sons, Chicago
Granite City Steel, Granite City
ERA Tool and Engineering, Chicago
Max Zuckerman & Sons, Chicago
C-B Tool Products, Chicago
Kankakee Ordnance Plant, Kankakee
Allied Chemical, Metropolis

INDIANA
University of Notre Dame, South Bend
Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply, Ft. Wayne
Purdue University Van der Graaf Lab, Ames
Wabash River Ordnance Works, Terra Haute
Standard Oil of Indiana, Whiting
Indiana Steel Products, Valparaiso
University of Indiana. Bloomington
General Electric Plant, Shelbyville
Washrite, Indianapolis
American Bearing, Indianapolis

IOWA
Iowa State University, Ames Lab.
Burlington Ordnance Plant, Burlington
Ames Laboratory Research Reactor Facility, Ames
Titus Metals, Waterloo
Bendix Aviation, Pioneer Div., Davenport

KANSAS
Spencer Chemical Jayhawks Works, Pittsburg

KENTUCKY
Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Paducah

LOUISIANA
none

MAINE
none

MARYLAND
Bendix Frieze Div., Baltimore
Glann L. Martin, Middle River
Naval Ordance Lab, Silver Spring
Public Health Service, NIH, Bethesda
W.R. Grace, Curtis Bay
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Armco-Rustless Iron & Steel, Baltimore
Max Zuckerman & Sons, Baltimore
Maryland Disposal site, location unknown

MASSACHUSETTS
E.B. Badger, Boston
Edgerton Germeshausen & Gierr, Boston
Englehard Industries, Plainville
Manufacturing Labs, Boston
TracerLab, Boston
Tufts College, Medford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Watertown Arsenal, Watertown
Winchester Engineering and Analytical Center, Winchester
Ventron, Beverly
Harvard University Electron Accelerator, Cambridge
Shpack Landfill, Norton
Woburn Landfill, Woburn
ChapmanValve Manufacturing, Indian Orchard
Nuclear Metals, Cambridge
National Research, Boston
TracerLab, Boston
Norton, Worcester
American Forash & Chemical, West Hanover
Fenwal, Ashland
Heald Machine, Worcester
La Pointe Machine and Tool, Hudson
C. G. Sargent & Sons, Graniteville
Reed Rolled Thread, Worcester
NRC Equipment, Newton
New England Materials Laboratory, Medford
Metals and Controls, Attleboro

MICHIGAN
AMEX Specialty, Coldwater
DOW-Detroit Edison Project
Naval Ordnance Plant, Centerline
General Motors, Adrian
Westinghouse Naval Ordnance, Detroit
Velsicol Chemical, St. Louis
Revere Copper and Brass, Detroit
Wolverine Tube Division, Detroit
Dow Chemical, Midland
General Motors Plant, Flint
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Gerity-Michigan, Adrian
Detrex, Detroit
Oliver, Battle Creek
Carboloy, Detroit
Baker-Perkins, Saginaw
Mitts & Merrel, Saginaw
Star Cutter, Farmington
Extruded Metals, Grand Rapids
4400 Piehl Rd, Ottawa Lake

MINNESOTA
Twin Cites Ammunition Plant, New Brighton
Elk River Reactor, Elk River

MISSISSIPPI
Tatum Dome Test Site, Hattiesburg

MISSOURI
Spencer Chemical, Kansas City
St. Louis University
United Nuclear, Hematite
St. Louis Airport Storage site
St. Louis Downtown site
Weldon Spring Chemical, St. Charles
Latty Avenue, St. Louis
West Lake Landfill, Bridgeton
Bendix Aviation, Kansas City
Washington University, St. Louis
Petrolite, St. Louis
Medart, St. Louis
Roger Iron, Joplin
Tyson Valley Powder Farm, St. Louis

MONTANA
Montana State University, Bozeman

NEBRASKA
Hallam Nuclear Power Facility, Hallam

NEVADA
University of Nevada, Reno
Central Nevada Test Site
Shoal Test Site, Fallon
Nellis Air Force Base
Nuclear Rocket Development Station
U. S. Bureau of Mines, Reno Station
Titanium Metals, Henderson

NEW HAMPSHIRE
R. Brew, Concord

NEW JERSEY
International Pulverizing, Morristown
I. T. Baker Chemical, Phillipsburg.
Metals Disintegrating, Verona
Princeton Univcrsity, Princeton
Vitro Corp. of America, West Orange
Westinghouse Electric, Bloomfield
Middlesex Sampling Plant, Middlesex
Middlesex Municipal Landfill Site, Middlesex
DuPont, Deepwater
Kellex/Pierpont, Jersey City
Princeton University, Princeton
U. S. Radium Maywood Site
Tube Reducing, Wallington
Chemical Construction, Linden
Baker and Williams, Newark
New Brunswick Lab, New Brunswick
Navy Ammunition Depot, Earle
Wayne site, Wayne
International Nickel Bayonne Laboratories
Standard Oil Development Co. of NJ, Linden
Heyden Chemical, Princeton
Wykoff Steel, Newark
Bloomfield Tool, Bloomfield
DuPont, Dyeworks, Carney's Point
U. S. Pipe and Foundry, Burlington
Alcoa, Garwood
Fairmont Chemical, Newark
Colonial Chemical, Engelwood
Harrison Manufacturing, Rahway
Pfaltz and Bauer, Richfield
United Lead, Middlesex
Eclipse-Pioneer, Tetterboro
Picatinny Arsenal, Dover
Raritan Arsenal
Bowen Lab, North Branch
New York Shipbudding, Camden
Bakelite, Bound Brook
Callite Tungsten, Union City
New Jersey Disposal Site

NEW MEXICO
Ambrosia Lake Mill, Ambrosia Lake
Blue Water AEC Ore Buying Station, Blue Water
Naval Office at the Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Shiprock AEC Ore Buying Station, Shiprock
Bayo Canyon, Los Alamos
Los Alamos Underground MED Pipelines, Los Alamos
Acid/Pueblo Canyon, Los Alamos
Chupadera Mesa, White Sands
ACF Industries, Albuquerque
LASL Tract, Los Alamos
LASL Parcels, Los Alamos
LASL Pipeline facility, Los Alamos
LASL Tracks Eastern Area, Los Alamos
LASL Tracks Eastern Area No. 3, Los Alamos
TA-1-Manhattan Lab, Los Alamos
Project Gnome Site, Carlsbad
Jackpile, Paquate
Project Gas Buggy
Church Rock
Mariano Lake
Trinity Test Site, White Sands
Grants AEC Ore Buying Station, Grants

NEW YORK
African Metals, New York
Al-Tech Specialty Steel, Dunkirk
American Railway Express Office, New York
Bell Telephone Labs, New York
BoyceThompson Institute for Plant Research, Yonkers
Canadian Radium and Uranium, New York
Carnegie Institute of Washington (Dept of Genetics), Cold Spring Harbor
Colorado Fuel and Iron, Watervliet
Eastman Kodak Laboratory, Rochester
Enterprise Metal Products,
Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn
Fordham University, New York
Frederick Flader, Tonawanda
Long Island College of Medicine, New York
Lucius Pitkin, New York
Memorial Hospital, New York
National Research, New York
Pier 38, New York
Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
Pyroferric, New York
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, New York
Union Mines Development, New York
Utica St. Warehouse, Buffalo
Al-Tech Specialty Steel, Watervliet
Bethlehem Steel, Lackawana
Columbia University, New York
Electromet, Niagara
Hooker Chemical, Niagara Falls
Colonie Site
Sylvania Corning Nuclear, Bayside
Linde Air Products Divisin, Tonawanda
Seaway Industrial Park, Tonawanda
Ashland Oil, Tonawanda
Seneca Army Depot, Romulus
Simonds Saw and Steel, Lockport
ACF Industries, Buffalo
Brookhaven National Lab buildings, New York
DuPont, Watervliet
Knolls Atomic Power Lab of General Electric, Schenectady
Niagara Fall Storage site, Lewiston
Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, Troy
Sylvania-Corning Plant, Hicksville
University of Rochester Medical Lab
West Milton Reactor site, Schenectady
Staten Island Warehouse, New York
West Valley Demonstration Project
Love Canal, Niagara Falls
Federal Repository, Elmira
American Machine and Foundry, Brooklyn
Tonawanda Office, Export. Import, Niagara Falls
Cornell University Medical College, Ithica
Syracuse University
Wolff-Alport , Brooklyn
Carborundum, Buffalo Ave. Plant, Niagara Falls
Nuclear Development Corp. Of America, White Plains
Hana-Newer, New York
Crucible Steel Co. of America, Syracuse
Sirnmons Machine and Tool, Albany
Naval Supply Depot, Scotia
Ledoux , New York
International Rare Metals Refinery, Mt. Kisko
Utica Drop Forge & Tool
Curtis Wright Metals Processing Div., Buffalo
Titanium Alloy Mfg, Niagara Falls
Ferro Metal & Chemical, New York
Kennecott Copper, New York
Belmont Smelting & Refining Works, Brooklyn
Pfaltz & Bauer, New York
Charles Handy, New York
B. L. Lernke, New York
National Carbon, New York
Markite, New York
New York University, New York
Sacandaga, Glenville
Niagara Smelting
Ithaca Gun
B & L Steel, Buffalo
Gteason Works, Rochester
Bufiovak, Buffalo
Radiation Applications, New York
American Machine and Foundry, New York
Radium Chemical, New York
Baker & Williams Warehouses, New York
Carbonneau Site, Malta
American Machine and Foundry, Buffalo
Wilson Warehouse, Buffalo
Linde Air Products, Buffalo
Phohl Brothers Landfill, Tonawanda

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina State University, Raleigh

NORTH DAKOTA
Belfield Mill
Bowman Mill

OHIO
Case School of Applied Science, Ohio State
University, Columbus
Cyrus Foote Mineral, Cambridge
Fosdick Machine Shop, Oxford
NationalACME Machine, Cleveland
Ohio Stale University, Columbus
Ohmart, Cinncinnati
University of Cincinnati
Wright Air Development Center, Dayton
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus
Brush Beryllium, Cleveland
DuPont, Grasselli Plant, Cleveland
Harshaw Chemical, Cleveland
Horizons, Cleveland
Air Force Plant 36, Evandale
Dayton Plants No.1 and 3
Piqua Nuclear Power Facility, Piqua
Brush Beryllium, Elmore
RMI Extrusion, Ashtabula
OARDC, Wooster
Feed Materials Production Center, Fernald
Cooper Metallurgical Associates, Cleveland
Tech-Art, Milford
Battelle Columbus Labs, Columbus
Baker Brothers, Toledo
McKinney Tool and Mfg., Cleveland
Luckey Site
MOUND plant, Miamisburg
National Smelting & Refining, Cleveland
Magnus Brass, Cincinnati
Alba Craft, Oxford
Associate Aircraft Tool and Mfg., Fairfield
Lodge and Shipley, Cincinnati
Cincinnati Milling Machine, Cincinnati
B&T Metals, Columbus
Herring-Hall Marvin Safe, Hamilton
Etna Machine, Toledo
Clifton Products, Painesville
Monsanto Chemical, Dayton
General Electric, Cincinnati
Western Reserve University, Cleveland
Copper Weld Steel, Warren
Osborne, Cleveland
Clevite, Cleveland
American Steel Foundries, Cincinnati
Gruen Watch, Norwood
R. W, Leblond Machine Tool, Cincinnati
Duhnis Chemical , Cincinnati
John Van Range, Cincinnati
Queen City Barrel,Cincinnati
Tocco Induction Heating Div., Cleveland
Ajax Magnathermic, Youngstown
Process Research, Cincinnati
Matlon Engineer Depot, Marion
Motch & Merryweather, Cleveland
Brush Beryllium, Lorain
Painesville
Duriron , Dayton
CharlesTaylor and Sons, Cincinnati
Robbins & Myers , Springfield

OREGON
Lakeview Mill
Oregon Metallurgical, Albany
Wah Chang, Albany
Albany Research Center, Albany

PENNSYLVANIA
American Chain and Cable, Wilkes-Barre
Bartol Research Foundation, Swathmore
Hygrade Sylvania
Meill & Worthington, Hatboro
Paul & Beekmarn, Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
University of Pittsburgh
Teledyne-Columbia-Summerville, Pittsburgh
Rohm & Haas, Philadelphia
Superior Steel, Carnegie
Westinghouse Atomic Power Dev, Forest Hills
Canonsburg Industrial Park
PennCentral Transportation, Blairsville
Aliquippa Forge
Philadelphia Navy Yard
Carnegie-Mellon Cyclotron Facility, Saxonburg
Westinghouse Astronuclear, Cheswick
C. A..Schnorr, Springdale
Carpenter Steel , Reading
Shippingport Atomic Power Station
Try Street Terminal, Pittsburgh
Vanadium Corp. of America, Bridgeville
Westinghouse Atomic Power Div., Homestead
Jeasop Steel, Washington
Babcox & Wilcox, Beaver Falls
Heppanstall, Pittsburgh
Penn Salt, Chestnut Hill
Frankford Arsenal, Philadelphia
Aeroprojects, West Chester
Alcoa, New Kensington
Summerill Tubing, Bridgeport
Koppers, Pittsburgh
Philadelphia Naval Yard
Foote Mineral, Philadelphia
Roberts & Manders, Hatboro
Sharpies, Philadelphia
Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator, Philadelphia
Brown Instrument Div.
Birdsboro Steel & Foundry, Birdsboro
Pennsylvania Ordnance Works, Williamsport
Palmerton Ore Buying Site
Landis Machine Tool, Waynesboro
U. S. Steel National Tube Div., McKeesport
Bureau of Mines, Bruceton
Curtis-Wright, Quehanno
Duriron Beryllium, Reading
Catalytic, Philadelphia
Nuclear Materials and Equipment, Apollo
Chambersburg Engineering
Pennsylvania Disposal Site
Westinghouse Electric, East Pittsburgh
Babcox & Wilcox, Parks Township

RHODE ISLAND
Brown University
Brown University
C. L Hayes, Inc.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Savannah Rivet Swamp

SOUTH DAKOTA
Edgemom Mill

TENNESSEE
Parcel 228
Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Tennessee Eastman Corp.
Vitro Corp. of America
W. R. Grace
Clinton Laboratories
Knoxville Iron Co.
Clarksville Foundry & Machine Co.
Elza Gate Warehouse
Union Carbide and Carbon Corp.

TEXAS
Pasadena Chemical Corp., Pilot Plant
Texas City Chemicals, Inc.
Paritex Sewage Reservoir
Falls City Uranium Mill
Kearns City
Kennedy
Three Rivers
AIMCOT
Sutton, Steele and Steele Co.

UTAH
Green River Mill
Mexican Hat AEC Ore Buying Station
Salt Lake City Mill
Salt Lake City AEC Ore Buying Station
U. S. Bureau of Mines
University of Utah
Monticello Ore Buying Station and Mill
White Canyon AEC Ore Buying Station
Matysville AEC Ore Buying Station
Moab AEC Ore Buying Station

VIRGINIA
Naval Proving Ground
Reactor Site - Fort Belvoir
Mobil Oil Corp.
Babcock & Wilcox Co
University of Virginia
Reynolds Metals Co.
Norfolk Naval Station
American Machine and Foundry Co.

WASHINGTON
Globe Steel Tubes
Tranes Co.
University of Washington
Hartford Engineer Works

WEST VIRGINIA
Reduction Pilot Plant
Amax Corp.
Morgantown Ordnance Works
Food Machinery and Chemical Corp.

WISCONSIN
Allis-Chalmers Co
Research Products Corp
Besley-Wells
Milwaukee Airport

WYOMING
Converse County Mill
Crooks Gap AEC Ore Buying Station
Riverton AEC Ore Buying Station
Rivenon Mill
Shirley Basin AEC Ore Buying Station
Lost Creek

PUERTO RICO
Boiling Water Nuclear Facility
Superheat Reactor

UNITED STATES (UNKNOWN LOCATIONS)
Queen City Barrel Co.
Transcontinental Machine and Tool Co.
Bistro Manufacturing Co.
Layton Brothers Drum
Cania Laboratories Alimous Process, Inc.
Transcontinental Midland Machine Co.
Metcut Research Site
Vulcan Tool Co.

---

Energy Dept. Posts Weapons Site List

Associated Press
September 21, 2000 Filed at 7:00 p.m. ET
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Nuclear-Weapons-Sites.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Energy Department posted a list on its Web site Thursday of more than 500 government and commercial sites across the country that may have been used to help build nuclear weapons.

The department created the list in 1995, when the agency was trying to determine sites for an environmental cleanup program. The list is identified as a working document subject to revision.

That specific cleanup program has since been moved to the Army Corps of Engineers, but the Energy Department does clean up sites.

Currently, the department is reviewing the list to see which sites need to be cleaned up.

The list documents weapons activity that took place as early as the 1940s, when the government was building the first atomic bomb. Some small, private businesses secretly participated in the effort known as the Manhattan Project.

File and field reviews of the sites on the list began in the early 1970s, when government officials realized the sites should be evaluated to determine the risks posed to workers and the environment.

The department still is trying to sort out which sites need to be cleaned up, according Carolyn Huntoon, who oversees cleanup issues for the department.

``We are reconstructing the history of these former and present sites to see if questions remain about contamination,'' Huntoon said. '' ... In the near future, we expect to have a more thorough and comprehensive list and a plan for addressing health and environmental concerns.''

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said earlier this month he wanted to publicize the list. Huntoon said the agency did not want to delay posting it any longer ``in an effort to be candid with workers.''

On the Net:
DOE list: http://www2.em.doe.gov/sitelist

---

Nuclear Worker Compensation Urged

Associated Press
September 21, 2000
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Sick-Workers.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nuclear plant workers have a message for lawmakers considering help for people exposed to health-robbing levels of radiation: Hurry up, and don't be stingy.

``Many of us do not have time left on this Earth. We need your action now,'' Ann Orick of Knoxville, Tenn., said in remarks prepared for delivery at a House hearing Thursday.

While she and other sick workers waited for a turn to tell their stories to a House subcommittee, negotiations were continuing over whether to create a government compensation program, and how much compensation ought to be guaranteed for the workers who were employed at federally run facilities.

The Energy Department recently reversed 50 years of federal policy by declaring that workers injured or killed by weapons-plant exposure be compensated. The agency had proposed minimum lump sum payments of $100,000.

The Senate earlier this year approved a minimum of $200,000, plus medical care, for workers suffering from beryllium disease, silicosis or radiation-caused cancer.

A revised estimate from the Congressional Budget Office said such a program could cost about $1 billion over five years.

Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio, said House and Senate negotiators were discussing a program that would provide no more than $100,000 per ailing worker, plus medical care.

``This is certainly not ideal,'' he said, adding that one thing under consideration is that workers would not be allowed to recover lost wages.

A Senate-passed provision had left the maximum benefit open-ended to enable workers to recover wages lost because their exposure made them too sick to remain on the job, even though they might be years or even decades from retirement age.

The House never voted on a compensation program, so the conference committee was considering whether to approve one as part of a larger defense authorization bill.

Dr. David Michaels, the Energy Department's top health official, said he thought Thursday's hearing could persuade conferees to enact a compensation program quickly.

``We spend $6 billion a year cleaning up the dirt around the nuclear weapons complex. We should be willing to spend a portion of that to take care of the workers we made sick,'' he said.

In his prepared testimony, Sam Ray of Lucasville, Ohio, a 40-year uranium enrichment plant employee, described working without protective clothing or radiation monitoring.

Enriching uranium for nuclear weapons was done in strict secrecy, and ``workers were kept in the dark about the hazards they faced,'' said Ray, who suffers from a rare bone cancer and had his larynx removed.

``Even to this day, we don't know what we confronted,'' he said. ``I hope your committee will see to it that we are not left out in the cold.''

``You must take the focus off the money and place it on the people,'' agreed Orick, who worked at the government's weapons plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The sick workers said federal compensation is deserved because work on the federal government's bombs caused their diseases, and because state worker compensation programs haven't taken care of them.

In some cases, the diseases had a long latency period and by the time the workers were diagnosed, too many years had elapsed since exposure and they didn't meet the state qualifications.

In other cases, government contractors actively fought the workers' benefit claims, or record-keeping was lax, or secrecy concerns were cited to prevent the government from accurately documenting the substances workers were exposed to, and the amount of the exposures.

The Energy Department does not know how many of the 600,000 people who worked at weapons plants since World War II might have contracted beryllium diseases, silicosis or radiation-linked cancer, but officials there estimate that 4,000 would be eligible under the Senate-passed program.

The bill numbers are H.R. 675, H.R. 3418, H.R. 3478, H.R. 3495, H.R. 4263, H.R. 4398, HR 5189 and SB 2519.

On the Net:
Bill texts: http://thomas.loc.gov
Justice Department's Radiation Exposure Compensation Program: http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/torts/const/reca/index.htm

-------- south carolina

Local nuclear science expertise may immobilise US plutonium

Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 21/09/2000
James Woodford
http://www.smh.com.au/news/0009/21/text/national18.html

The French nuclear giant Cogema and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation have formed an alliance to bid for the right to immobilise weapons-grade plutonium in the United States.

The two organisations have in turn teamed up with the US-based engineering firm Burns and Roe. The new company is known as Roe CA.

Roe CA has prepared a submission for the US Department of Energy for the design of a "plutonium immobilisation plant", which will be based at Savannah River in the US.

It is understood ANSTO plans to limit its involvement to the design phase and has no role in operation should the Roe CA proposal be accepted by the Department of Energy.

ANSTO's main contribution will be its "SYNROC" technology, which locks radioactive material away in artificial rock.

In spite of claims that plans were under way for the alliance also to immobilise Russian weapons grade plutonium, ANSTO has ruled this out, and denied that any material will end up in Australia.

ANSTO said in a statement it would not be touching Russian plutonium.

It said: "ANSTO will not be a storage site for any weapons plutonium from any weapons disposition programs. ANSTO's role in the Roe CA team relates to the design of the immobilisation facilities, not their operation.

"Ultimate storage of the immobilised plutonium will take place in the US."

-------- u.s. nuc weapons

Unleashing `Mini-Nukes' Will Bring Dire Consequences

San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, September 21, 2000
Martin Butcher, Theresa Hitchens
mailto:chronfeedback@sfgate.com

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/09/21/ED35855.DTL

SOME U.S. LEADERS are toying with an idea for a new nuclear bomb that could have turned NATO's campaign in Kosovo into a nuclear war. For more than 50 years, there has been a taboo against unleashing the terrible power of the atom in war, but some in the U.S. nuclear weapons establishment and their political allies now envision a world where nuclear combat could become almost a commonplace event.

Sound crazy? Unfortunately, it's true.

Top Senate Republicans already have pushed through a measure that will allow U.S. weapons labs to begin studies on a so-called ``mini-nuke,'' intended not to deter a potential enemy but for use in small, regional wars. The measure is expected to pass when Congress debates the defense budget bill later this month. And even though the Pentagon says it ``has no requirement'' for such a new weapon, no one in President Clinton's lame-duck administration is expected to take on the issue.

Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and Wayne Allard, R-Colo., ensured that the Senate version of the Defense Authorization Bill for fiscal year 2001 contains a provision to allow initial development studies on a nuclear weapon with an explosive yield of less than five kilotons. The senators acted in answer to an Air Force request for permission to explore creation of an earth-burrowing nuclear warhead that could be used in regional wars, such as the Gulf War or Kosovo, to destroy underground bunkers.

The aim would be to kill national leaders such as Saddam Hussein or Slobodan Milosevic, or to destroy stocks of biological/chemical weapons held by so-called ``rogue'' states. The thinking -- detailed in a recent paper, ``Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century'' by Stephen Younger, associate director for nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory -- is that such bunkers are often in urban areas, where use of a ``normal'' nuclear weapon would cause unacceptable damage and casualties to the civilian population. A ``mini-nuke,'' proponents argue, would be a sure way of killing a dictator, or wiping out stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, with little or no release of those agents into the environment.

Obviously, the development and deployment of a weapon with a relatively small explosive yield -- the Hiroshima bomb, regarded today as tiny, was a 15 kiloton weapon -- would be extremely dangerous, precisely because the military would regard it as ``usable.'' The negative political ramifications of launching a nuclear war apparently go unheeded by Younger and others promoting such a new weapon.

It is also absurd to assert that such a weapon could be employed without endangering civilians. A mini-nuke dropped on San Francisco might only destroy Twin Peaks, not the entire city. But, even a small nuclear weapon would kill thousands of people and bring appalling suffering to thousands more victims of burns, radiation sickness, blindness and other injuries. Eventually, thousands more would suffer as the result of genetic deformities -- exactly as has happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

And even with today's precision weapons, accurate delivery cannot be ensured. The accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy during NATO's Kosovo air war is a case in point.

War aside, a number of immediate negative consequences can be expected if the United States pursues ``mini-nukes.''

In the near term, nuclear weapons design and development activity at Department of Energy labs would be intensified. Eventually, there would be strong pressure to resume nuclear testing, as the weapon scientists seek to prove to the military that their new designs work. This would wreck the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, already weakened by its rejection by the Senate last year. In fact, there already is strong pressure from the U.S. nuclear labs, and members of Congress such as Sen. Allard, to abandon the test ban treaty and the U.S. moratorium on nuclear testing. The United States' move to develop mini-nukes has the potential to spur proliferation. The refusal of the ``nuclear-haves'' to live up to obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to pursue nuclear disarmament already has piqued India and Pakistan to acquire nuclear capability.

How can the world take seriously Washington's pledge, made during the May Non-Proliferation Treaty 2000 Review Conference, to make an ``unequivocal undertaking'' to work toward eliminating nuclear weapons, when at the same time U.S. officials are promoting new, more usable bombs?

Moreover, the United States has signed so-called negative security assurances -- promising not to launch a nuclear attack on non-nuclear countries.

Doesn't the development of a ``mini-nuke'' make a mockery of those promises?

Is the U.S. government really ready to overthrow the international consensus that nuclear war would be the ultimate disaster, just for the chance to drop a bomb on Saddam Hussein? Does such a policy make strategic sense for a peaceful 21st century?

Those touting the use of battlefield nuclear weapons need to look up from their blueprints and recognize the potentially frightening results of their laboratory experiments.

Martin Butcher is director of security programs at Physicians for Social Responsibility. Theresa Hitchens is research director at the British American Security Information Council.

-------- MILITARY (by country)

-------- colombia

Kidnapping and Hijacking Threaten Colombia's Peace Efforts

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By REUTERS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21COLO.html

Colombia Sept. 20 - Colombia's fragile peace effort seemed especially precarious today as the government faced fallout from violent events instigated by two rebel groups: a mass kidnapping last weekend, and the hijacking of a commercial airliner about two weeks ago, during which a police officer was killed.

"Crossroads and Crisis in the Peace Process," read one headline in El Espectador, a Bogotá paper. This was a reference to pressure on President Andrés Pastrana to toughen his negotiating stance with Colombia's two main Marxist rebel groups or break off widely criticized and so-far fruitless peace talks.

Mr. Pastrana has had to overcome formidable obstacles to keep the peace effort on track. But political analysts here say the hijacking on Sept. 8, and the kidnapping on Sunday of about 80 people outside Colombia's second-largest city, have built up enough pressure among military and political leaders to derail the effort altogether.

The twin crimes underscore what many Colombians see as the intransigence of war-hardened insurgents unwilling to compromise and bent on seizing power by any means.

They also prompted an unusual call from leaders of Mr. Pastrana's Conservative Party today. Party leaders said they would demand a ballot initiative in local elections on Oct. 29 to gauge approval of the government's handling of efforts to end the conflict, which has taken 35,000 lives since 1990.

Recent polls have shown that an overwhelming majority disapprove of the way Mr. Pastrana has handled this and other issues.

The kidnapping Sunday, which occurred along a highway outside the southwestern city of Cali, has been attributed to the Cuban-inspired National Liberation Army, or E.L.N.

Paradoxically, it came just as the rebel group - the country's second- largest, with about 5,000 fighters - appeared close to achieving its demands for a troop pullout from a 2,400-square-mile area of northern Bolívar Province so it could plan a "national congress" of government and nongovernment groups.

Mr. Pastrana himself had put negotiations on hold until recently, because E.L.N. members had kidnapped 160 worshipers from a church in Cali in May 1999. That abduction came just a month after the group hijacked a jet and kidnapped those on board.

Most kidnappings in Colombia, which reported a record total of nearly 3,000 cases last year, are attributed either to the E.L.N. or the 17,000-strong Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which goes by the acronym FARC. Both use ransoms to finance their war efforts.

The FARC, Latin America's oldest and most powerful insurgency, said in a statement last weekend that its peace talks with the government were in "intensive care" because of the United States-backed anti-drug offensive in Colombia.

In a statement late Tuesday, the FARC changed its prognosis to say, "The process is dying." It criticized the government for insisting that it hand over a rebel convicted in a policeman's death, who was being transferred between jails when he hijacked a plane on Sept. 8.

The hijacking has caused a national uproar because the convict, Arnobio Ramos, forced the plane, with its 22 passengers and crew members, to land in the southern Colombian zone that Mr. Pastrana granted to the FARC to jump-start talks in 1998.

"We're not going to hand the comrade over," said Carlos Antonio Losada, a rebel chieftain. "It is the duty of all revolutionary prisoners to escape from the regime's prisons."

-------- iran

In U.S., Top Iran Aide Has Travel Rules Eased

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21IRAN.html

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 - In another gesture to Iran, the Clinton administration has approved visits to American colleges by Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, the highest-ranking official from Tehran permitted to travel widely in the United States.

"It's consistent with our people-to- people exchanges, with our desire to foster a dialogue between the United States and Iranian people," a spokesman for the State Department, Richard Boucher, said today. "This is completely consistent with what we're doing."

On Monday, Mr. Kharazzi visited the Kennedy School at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., to arrange for exchanges of scholars. He spoke to students and faculty members. On Thursday, he is due at U.C.L.A. to speak to students and Iranian-Americans in southern California.

There may be other college visits, each of which needs specific approval from Washington. Mr. Kharrazi, who has a visa to attend United Nations meetings in New York, has not made further requests.

"We have had some easing of the embargo on Iran," Mr. Boucher said, "to allow people-to-people exchanges and contacts to the benefit of Iranian people and Americans. We do think that we can continue to expand this policy."

Yet Mr. Boucher said Iranian support for terrorism had not declined, nor had concern with Iran's pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and opposition to peacemaking in the Middle East.

The election of Mohammad Khatami as president three years ago and a perception that he was a moderating force prompted the Washington to pursue a dialogue with Iran.

On Friday, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright joined Mr. Kharazzi at the United Nations in an eight-nation meeting on Afghanistan. That was the first time that American and Iranian officials on that level had worked together since Iranian militants overran the United States Embassy in Tehran in 1979, when they took 53 Americans hostage for 444 days.

Dr. Albright said she and Mr. Kharrazi were on opposite sides of a horseshoe-shaped table and did not have a direct conversation. Nevertheless, she said, she was pleased that Iran and the United States took the same stand in deploring Afghan drug trafficking.

---

Iran Test - Fires Missile

Associated Press
September 21, 2000 Filed at 7:30 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iran-Missile.html

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran has successfully test-fired its first solid-liquid fuel missile, which the defense minister said was part of a program for launching satellites, the state news agency said Thursday.

Defense Minister Vice Adm. Ali Shamkhani said the missile, the Shahab-3D, would be used for nonmilitary purposes, the Islamic Republic News Agency said.

Shamkhani was quoted saying the missile was built by the national aerospace authority as part of a program for building rockets to launch satellites. He insisted Iran did not produce offensive weapons, the agency added. He did not give the rocket's range or other details.

In Washington, however, a senior Clinton administration official said that while Iran did conduct a test, it was not successful. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, gave no details.

Earlier, a U.S. intelligence official, Robert D. Walpole, cast doubt on the success of the launch during testimony to a Senate subcommittee hearing.

``They say it's successful. We're analyzing the data from the launch and we will tell you more ... but be careful when you get public announcements like this,'' said Walpole, of the National Intelligence Council, a group of officials from major U.S. intelligence organizations that advises the director of the CIA.

``It (the announcement) says it's for non-military purposes -- we view it as a missile, not a space launch vehicle,'' he added.

Iran has built and tested a number of missiles, including the Shahab-3 which has a range of 810 miles. Washington denounced a July test of the Shahab-3, which it said could reach Israel or U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia.

``We regard their aggressive efforts to develop missile capability as a serious threat,'' a State Department deputy spokesman, Philip Reeker, said Thursday.

---

Iran Celebrates Iran/Iraq War

Associated Press
September 21, 2000 Filed at 12:21 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Iran-Parade.html

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Thursday marked the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war with a military parade in Tehran, calls for a just peace and -- for the first time -- no anti-American slogans.

Thousands of veterans of the eight-year war, some in wheelchairs, turbaned clerics, black-robed women militia volunteers and the elite Revolutionary Guards paraded before President Mohammad Khatami and top military brass.

``We are not seeking war or tension. We are seeking to promote peace and detente both at the regional and international level, a just peace where the rights of all nations will be respected,'' Khatami said, addressing the crowds in Azadi Square.

``However, in a world where relations are based on power, our nation has every right to become strong in order to defend itself,'' he said.

For the first time since Iran began marking the war's anniversary, there were no anti-American slogans during the parade, underlining improved Iran-U.S. relations under the reformist Khatami government.

In previous years, troops trampled on a large U.S. flag painted on the street. Last year a banner was carried denouncing the United States.

The military used the parade, broadcast live on state television, to show off its modern, domestically-produced arsenal, including medium-range Shahab-3 missiles and Zolfaqar tanks.

Although the Iran-Iraq war ended in 1988 with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire, the neighbors have yet to sign a peace treaty formally ending the conflict and still disagree on reparations and other issues. The neighbors do not even

Iran marks the start of the 8-year war on Sept. 22, while Iraq says the war began Sept. 4, 1980.

-------- korea

South Korean Aide Resigns Over Loan Accusations

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By SAMUEL LEN
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21KORE.html

SEOUL, South Korea, Sept. 20 - In the latest scandal involving high- ranking members of the South Korean government, a close aide to President Kim Dae Jung who was a key player in the government's reconciliation efforts with North Korea resigned today after being accused of using his position to help businessmen obtain substantial bank loans.

While the latest scandal was not expected to affect talks between the two Koreas, the accusations against the minister of culture and tourism, Park Jie Won, and his resignation were a reminder of the collusive ties between businessmen and politicians that plagued South Korea during its pre-reform days. The scandal also meant lost credibility for the administration of Kim Dae Jung in its efforts to get South Korean businesses to adopt management standards.

"The main issue is that many people are linking Minister Park with a scandal that is hindering political affairs, which in turn is slowing down economic reforms," said Kim Il Young, a political science professor at Sungkyunkwan University.

The popularity of the president has surged since his summit meeting in June with North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Il. But at the same time, the president has had to replace a premier and five ministers because of scandals involving money since his inauguration in February 1998. Less than a month ago, South Korea's education minister was forced to resign when he was accused of buying shares of Samsung Electronics at discounted prices while serving as an outside auditor for the company.

Mr. Park's close relationship with the president, which dates from the 1980's, was demonstrated by his appointment as Seoul's top envoy to help prepare for the summit meeting.

But Mr. Park has faced mounting pressure during the past several weeks to resign after several news reports accused him of forcing Hanvit Bank, the recipient of government funding, to extend loans to a businessman.

At a news conference announcing his resignation, Mr. Park denied the accusation and said he will face an investigation by prosecutors.

"I apologize for the concerns I have caused for the president and the people," Mr. Park said. "There must be no more incidents to make the public lose confidence in the government."

---

New York Times
September 21, 2000
World Briefing
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21BRIE.html

ASIA

SOUTH KOREA: U.S. TROOPS TO STAY President Kim Dae Jung and Defense Secretary William S. Cohen agreed that their nations must maintain a strong military alliance despite the easing of tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula. Currently there are 37,000 American troops stationed in the South. Meanwhile, Red Cross officials from both Koreas began talks to plan more reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. (AP)

-------- kosovo / yugoslavia

Fourteen NATO, Western leaders sentenced to 20 years imprisonment

Thursday, September 21 8:57 PM SGT
BELGRADE, Sept 21 2000 (AFP)
http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/article.html?s=asia/headlines/000921/world/afp/Fourteen_NATO__Western_leaders_sentenced_to_20_years_imprisonment.html

Fourteen NATO and Western leaders have been sentenced in absentia to 20 years imprisonment each for war crimes committed during last year's bombardment of Yugoslavia, a Belgrade court said Thursday.

The leaders included US President Bill Clinton, French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

-------- myanmar

New York Times
September 21, 2000
World Briefing
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21BRIE.html

ASIA

MYANMAR: LAUREATE'S NEW TRAVEL PLAN The pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will make another attempt to travel today, her National League for Democracy party said. The move is almost certain to provoke another confrontation with the military, which stopped the 55-year-old Nobel Peace laureate outside Yangon when she tried to leave last month and returned her home nine days later. (Reuters)

-------- russia

Gunmen seize hostages in S. Russia

USA Today
09/21/00- Updated 07:44 PM ET
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/nw1.htm#bomb

MOSCOW - Gunmen seized at least four hostages on Thursday in a southern Russian town, demanding $30 million and freedom for all ethnic Chechen prisoners in Russia, an Interior Ministry official said. The head of the Interior Ministry branch in the town of Lazarevskoye said that a man who had fled the scene said that four workers were taken hostage by two Chechen men. However, a press spokesman for the Interior Ministry in the region, said there were 30 hostages. He did not say how many attackers were involved.

---

From Russia with love

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
Embassy Row James Morrison News and dispatches from the diplomatic corridor.
http://208.246.212.80/world/embassy-2000921212741.htm

A statue of Russia's national poet, Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, reflected the glow of a late summer sun as Russian and U.S. officials expressed their warm affections for each other in a ceremony yesterday at George Washington University.

Across town on Capitol Hill, congressional Republicans were denouncing the Clinton administration for a "foreign policy failure" in its relations with Russia.

A dozen senior Republicans released a report charging that the administration's policy has left U.S.-Russian relations "in tatters, characterized by deep and growing hostility."

None of that was evident at the university ceremony where Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott insisted that U.S.-Russian relations are strong and growing.

President Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent their regards at the unveiling of the 10-foot-tall bronze statue of the 19th-century poet crowned by the golden image of the winged horse Pegasus, the symbol of poetry.

Mr. Clinton, in a letter, said the statue will be a "reminder of the strong friendship between the Russian and American peoples."

Mr. Ivanov, who is on a private visit to Washington, was apparently overcome by Pushkin fever. After reading the message from the Russian president, he said it was signed, "Vladimir Pushkin, er, Putin, sorry."

"The statue is another visible testimony . . . to the phenomenon of Russian culture," Mr. Ivanov said. "Washington and Moscow are building mutual trust and partnership for years and years to come."

Mr. Talbott, who studied Russian literature, said Pushkin reminds him that the "Russian people are possessed of a greatness of spirit that was sure to prevail someday over the bleakness and cruelty of much of their history."

The statue is a gift to the people of Washington from the city of Moscow. James W. Symington, a former congressman from Missouri, helped bring the statue here in his position as chairman of the American-Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation.

To contact James Morrison, call 202/636-3297, fax 202/832-7278 or e-mail morris@twtmail.com

-------- space

Teen Gets 6 Months for Hacking NASA

Associated Press
September 21, 2000 Filed at 6:39 p.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Comrade-Hacker.html

MIAMI (AP) -- A teen-ager was sentenced to six months in jail Thursday after pleading guilty to federal charges of hacking into NASA computers which support the international space station.

The teen, now 16, also admitted he had illegally entered a Pentagon computer system, intercepted 3,300 e-mail transmissions and stolen passwords.

The Justice Department said the young man, whose name was withheld because of his age, was the first juvenile hacker to be incarcerated for computer crimes. He was known on the Internet as ``cOmrade'' and will serve his sentence in a Florida detention center. He was 15 when the crimes occurred.

``Breaking into someone else's property, whether it's a robbery or a computer intrusion, is a serious crime,'' Attorney General Janet Reno said.

Chris Rouland, who monitors computer attacks for Internet Security Systems Inc. in Atlanta, said the case was unusual in that the youngster was caught, not that he managed to break into the computers.

Rouland said the case reflects growing technical sophistication among hackers: ``This is a great bellwether as to the state of security where juveniles can traipse across computer systems with little or no fear.''

In a plea bargain, the young hacker admitted to entering 13 computers at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., for two days in June 1999 and downloading $1.7 million in NASA proprietary software that supports the space station's environmental systems.

NASA said it cost $41,000 to check and repair the system during the three-week shutdown after the illegal entry was discovered.

In August and October 1999, ``c0mrade'' entered the computer network run by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which monitors the threat from nuclear, biological, chemical, conventional and special weapons.

Had the hacker been an adult, he could have been charged with wiretapping and computer abuse crimes. As part of his sentence, he must write letters apologizing to the secretary of defense and the administrator of NASA.

On the Net:
Internet Security Systems: http://www.iss.net
ICSA.net, an online security firm: http://www.icsa.net

---

Space Shuttle Returns in a Night Landing

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/science/21SHUT.html

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Sept. 20 (AP) - Gliding through a moonlit sky, the space shuttle Atlantis returned today from the newly furnished International Space Station, which will soon to be home to a permanent crew.

Within moments of the Atlantis' touchdown, the clocks in Mission Control began counting backward toward the next launching. In one of NASA's faster turnarounds, the shuttle Discovery is scheduled to take off on Oct. 5 with new space station parts.

The space agency prefers a minimum of 21 days between shuttle launchings. If the Discovery is launched on time, the gap will be 27 days.

"They did an amazing job this mission," the flight director, Jeff Bantle, said of the seven-man international crew. "This moved us, I would say, a significant step closer to getting a crew on board this vehicle."

The first full-time residents - Capt. William M. Shepherd of the Navy and two Russians - are scheduled to be launched aboard a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan on Oct. 30 after a delay of more than two years.

They were in Russia, training for their four-month mission, when the Atlantis touched down after 12 days in space.

Powerful xenon lights illuminated the three-mile-long runway as the Atlantis emerged from the predawn gloom like a ghost ship, with a half-moon as a backdrop. It was only the 15th nighttime landing in shuttle history.

The shuttle's commander, Col. Terrence Wilcutt of the Marine Corps, and his crew spent eight days at the space station, five of them inside. By the time they left on Sunday night, they had carted three tons of equipment into the three-room outpost.

The crew also hooked up the toilet, oxygen generator and treadmill in the new living quarters, launched by Russia in July after multiple delays, and ran power and television cables up the outside. They left supplies like food, water, toiletries, notebooks and trash bags.

Unlike this mission, most of the work on the Discovery's planned flight - shuttle flight No. 100 - will be outside.

Four spacewalks are planned to wire up the first piece of station truss, or girder, and a new shuttle docking port. The crew will also install tool boxes and power converters.

NASA plans to remove the emergency oxygen packs from the spacewalking suits that flew on the Atlantis and to reuse them on the Discovery's mission.

The regulators in all of NASA's emergency oxygen packs were found in June to be contaminated with potentially flammable oil.

NASA does not have enough time to clean more packs before the Discovery takes off and will therefore reuse at least two of the ones that flew on the Atlantis, said Phil West, a NASA engineer.

-------- u.n.

India Withdrawing Troops in Africa

New York Times
September 21, 2000 Filed at 8:55 p.m. ET
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-UN-Sierra-Leone.html

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- In a surprise move, India said Wednesday it plans to withdraw its contingent from the 13,000-member U.N. peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone, dealing another blow to the embattled mission trying to help restore peace after eight years of civil war.

The announcement left the United Nations scrambling to find replacements for the Indians, whose 3,000-strong contingent was the second-largest in the mission after Nigeria's. It also appeared sure to delay even further the plans for beefing up the force to 20,500 personnel to counter rebel attacks and exert government authority throughout the war-ravaged West African country.

India's U.N. Mission said the move was ``part of a routine rotation'' and aimed ``to give other member states a chance to participate.''

A spokesman denied the removal was connected to recent criticisms of the Indian role and a dispute between the Indian force commander and his Nigerian subordinates.

The head of the Nigerian army had called for Maj.-Gen. Vijay Jetley to resign after he reportedly accused Nigerian officers of undermining the U.N. mission and profiting from Sierra Leone's diamond deposits in a memo published by two newspapers.

The Indian announcement came after the Security Council extended the U.N. mission in Sierra Leone until Dec. 31 to give the United Nations more time to round up troops for the planned increase in the force size.

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said that, after being informed of the Indian decision, Secretary-General Kofi Annan was already in contact with several potential troop contributors to replace them.

``The performance of all Indian officers has been outstanding,'' Eckhard said in a statement.

India is coordinating the timetable of the withdrawal to allow the world body ``to find suitable replacements,'' the Indian mission spokesman said.

The council had planned to vote Wednesday on a British-sponsored resolution to beef up the current mission to 20,500 troops.

But without firm offers for the additional 7,500 troops, the council agreed to a U.N. request to put off a vote until Annan consults with more potential troop contributors. With the departure of the Indians, he must now find over 10,500 troops.

The U.N. mission in Sierra Leone has been plagued with problems since its inception, most seriously the May seizure of 500 peacekeepers by rebels from the Revolutionary United Front. A subsequent investigation found that troops were poorly trained and equipped and didn't understand their mandate.

The Indian Mission's spokesman said India has been in Sierra Leone for over two years, starting with a medical unit in July 1998 in the former U.N. observer mission, and with UNAMSIL since its inception last year.

``We have reiterated our commitment to U.N. peacekeeping, and offered the services of our forces in any other U.N. mission where we may be needed,'' the spokesman said.

Western diplomats, caught by surprise by the Indian announcement, said they believed the decision was based at least in part on the government's feeling that the Sierra Leone burden needed to be spread among other countries. India has 3,059 personnel in Sierra Leone, nearly as many as Nigeria's 3,100 troops.

Jordan, which has the third largest contingent at about 1,800 has made similar complaints in recent days, calling for NATO and other industrialized countries to send in troops, western diplomats said.

The mission itself has changed dramatically since India signed on, with the rebels flouting the 1999 peace agreement the peacekeepers were dispatched to monitor.

India is also said to be smarting from general criticism of the mission and the force commander, even from Annan himself, following the hostage-taking incidents.

The Washington Post and Britain's Guardian newspaper reported that during the May hostage crisis, Jetley wrote a memo accusing Nigerian officers in the peacekeeping mission and the West African peacekeeping force that preceded it of undermining the peace operation and trafficking in diamonds.

Nigerian army commander, Lt. Gen. Victor Malu, said no Nigerian soldiers or officers had ever been found with diamonds, or been engaged in diamond mining.

---

Taliban Open a Campaign to Gain Status at the U.N.

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By BARBARA CROSSETTE
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21AFGH.html

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 - Four years after taking control of most of Afghanistan, the Islamic Taliban movement sent a high-level team to New York this week to lobby for the Afghan United Nations seat.

"We're here to challenge the United Nations on their reason for not recognizing us," the delegaton leader, Deputy Foreign Minister Abdur Rahman Zahid, said in an interview. "How can they recognize that band of thugs sitting beyond our borders?"

Mr. Zahid, taking the Taliban on the diplomatic offensive for the first time, was referring to the loose coalition of mostly exiled holy warriors whom the United States once supported in their war against the Soviet Union. For the last few weeks, in a succession of speeches and in important meetings affecting Afghanistan here, the mujahedeen have been the sole representatives of a country that they no longer rule.

The mujahedeen alliance controls less than 10 percent of Afghanistan. Its president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, is in exile, and its legacy to the country, United Nations officials say, was the destruction of the capital, Kabul, and much of the nation's public works in interfactional war.

Throughout the recent summit meeting here, the Taliban have had no opportunity to speak officially, even though they have been excoriated from the General Assembly podium for supporting terrorism, exporting opium and abusing human rights, especially those of women. Yet the United Nations is the organization, Mr. Zahid said, that is trying to teach the Taliban cooperation, tolerance and democracy.

"This is the world that we live in," he said. "A government is recognized that does not exist. Its president does not have an address. But they have the U.N. seat, all the Afghanistan embassies, everything."

The Taliban government - largely isolated at the behest of Iran, Russia and the United States, if for different reasons - is recognized by three nations: Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, speaking on Monday at a program sponsored by the White House Project, an organization that supports women in politics, repeated Clinton administration demands that the Taliban agree to a broad-based democratic government. To the Taliban, that amounts to giving part of the country back to the armed opposition and rekindling the war, Mr. Zahid said, adding, "If the U.N. at least vacated the seat, the opposition would have an incentive to talk."

Meanwhile, weapons flow in. "We are up to our necks in arms," Mr. Zahid said. "What we need are pencils and books."

The Taliban recently banned the cultivation of opium poppies. Echoing warnings last week from Pino Arlacchi, the top anticrime official for the United Nations, he said that crop-substitution projects were failing because help in building sugar and cotton mills had not materialized and that the Taliban have no other incentives to offer poppy growers.

Mr. Zahid said outsiders often forgot that some opium trade originated in the opposition-controlled areas, where Russian and Central Asian crime figures operate. Gemstones - rubies, emeralds and lapis lazuli - are also smuggled and sold in Europe by the opposition, including diplomats of the defunct government, who still control embassies, he said.

Although the Taliban government is not recognized by United Nations members who will again consider what do with the Afghanistan next month, it is treated as the de facto government by United Nations agencies, which run programs there. Afghanistan is also under Security Council sanctions for refusing to turn over Osama bin Laden, the Saudi- born militant, to American courts.

On human rights, Mr. Zahid, who is meeting United Nations officials and other diplomats, said Taliban officials now let women work in health services, the Interior Ministry, at airports and for certain United Nations agencies like the World Food Program. But he said demands for a representative government and elections were unrealistic in a country destroyed by two decades of war, a drought and almost no foreign aid.

"How do they expect us to be in a position to hold elections?" he asked. "In all of Afghan history, there has never been an election. After 20 years of war, when we are only beginning to create institutions, when we are the first Afghan government to try to stop opium production, how can they expect us to do this now? They are demanding of us what they never before expected of this country."

---

New York Times
September 21, 2000
World Briefing
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21BRIE.html

AFRICA SIERRA LEONE: DELAY ON U.N. FORCE The United Nations Security Council delayed until Dec. 31 enlarging the peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, now limited to 13,000 troops, because not enough soldiers have been pledged by member nations and because the United States is unlikely to get money from Congress to pay for its share of the bill until the end of the year. The Council plans to raise the number of peacekeepers to 20,500. Barbara Crossette (NYT)

---

Indonesian militias threaten year-old U.N. bid

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
By Ian Timberlake
http://208.246.212.80/world/default-2000921221238.htm

BATUGADE, East Timor - A year after peacekeepers first landed in East Timor, terror from armed militias threatens U.N.-led efforts to turn it into the world's newest independent nation.

High-level Indonesian military officers say they do not control neighboring West Timor, which has become a haven for the militias who have begun to raid the eastern half of the tiny Pacific island now under U.N. control.

"If the people don't feel secure, the process of running a transitional administration will not be successful," East Timor's independence leader Xanana Gusmao told reporters in the capital, Dili.

One diplomat called West Timor a "bandit country" that is only nominally under Jakarta's rule.

Three foreign workers for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees were murdered on Sept. 6 when a militia mob stormed their office in West Timor, about 19 miles from East Timor's northern border point at Batugade.

The murders sparked international outrage and prompted another call from the U.N. Security Council for Indonesia to disband the militias.

Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, during a visit to Jakarta this week, warned that Indonesia could lose international aid if it fails to curb the militias, which are closely linked and in some cases armed by Indonesian troops.

Indonesia has set out a timetable for disarming the militia, an effort it says will rely more on persuasion than force. But it has rejected a Security Council mission to Jakarta to discuss the crisis.

Lt. Simon Mouatt's U.N. peacekeeping patrol recently exchanged fire with militiamen waiting in ambush on the other side of the border. His troops had stopped for the night in tall grassland along the border when a gunshot sounded in the distance. Then came another, even closer.

Lt. Mouatt and his team saw two armed militiamen moving toward them.

"We warned them many, many times to put their weapons down," the Australian soldier said.

Both sides exchanged fire. The militiamen tossed grenades. Seconds later, it was over.

One militiaman was shot in the leg but fled back toward the border with Indonesian West Timor, the base from which the pro-Indonesian forces have increasingly activated incursions into the fledgling nation of East Timor.

"High-level Indonesian military officers admit that they do not control West Timor. It's just bandit country," a diplomatic source said. "Basically, the militia are doing whatever they . . . well please."

Peacekeepers first landed in East Timor on Sept. 20, 1999, to stop a militia campaign of murder, destruction and forced deportation. A year later, the militia threat is back, East Timorese officials say.

Since the beginning of August, U.N. forces have been on heightened alert that could continue until the end of September, a U.N. spokesman said.

More than 3,000 soldiers, mainly from Australia, along the frontier and in the mountains south of Dili, have been patrolling more often, supported by the arrival of four Black Hawk troop-carrying helicopters from Australia, Lt. Col. Brynjar Nymo said in Dili.

The soldiers are tracking up to 10 separate militia groups totaling about 120 people, said Col. Nymo, spokesman for the peacekeepers.

"I would say this is probably the largest influx of militia that we know of since Interfet came in," Col. Nymo said.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission took over in February from Interfet, the Australian-led International Force East Timor, which arrived to restore order after what U.N. officials and Indonesian human rights investigators said was a militia terror campaign orchestrated by the Indonesian military and police.

They say Indonesian security forces created the militias to terrorize the population ahead of and after the Aug. 30, 1999, ballot in which East Timorese voted overwhelmingly to separate from Indonesia.

More than 1,000 East Timorese are believed to have been murdered last year and nearly 300,000 were forcibly expelled to Indonesian West Timor.

More than 100,000 refugees remain in West Timor camps that are controlled by militias.

---

India plans pullout from Sierra Leone

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
World Scene Combined dispatches and staff reports
http://208.246.212.80/world/worldscene-2000921211748.htm

NEW YORK - India, which heads the U.N. military operation in Sierra Leone, intends to withdraw its troops from the country, leaving U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to find a new commander shortly, Indian officials reported yesterday.

Mr. Annan may replace Maj. Gen. Vijay Jetley as head of the peacekeeping force in Sierra Leone as early as next week, while India plans to scale down its forces at a time the United Nations wants to increase contingents in the beleaguered West African nation.

"We have conveyed to the [U.N.] secretariat we would like to withdraw from Sierra Leone," a spokesman from India's U.N. mission said.

Report on women hits bias, violence

LONDON - The world's women endure 80 million unwanted pregnancies, 20 million unsafe abortions and millions of beatings and rapes each year, despite major improvements in their lot at the end of the 20th century, according to a U.N. report published yesterday.

The report by the U.N. Population Fund said discrimination and violence against women "remain firmly rooted in cultures around the world," stopping many from reaching their full potential.

"Passed down from one generation to the next, ideas about 'real men' and 'a woman's place' are instilled at an early age and are difficult to change," the report said.

The "State of World Population Report 2000" said girls and women the world over are still routinely denied access to education and health care - including control over their reproductive activity - and to equal pay and legal rights.

-------- u.s.

Military Backs Ex-Guard Pilot Over Pvt. Gore

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By STEVEN LEE MYERS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/politics/21MILI.html

WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 - Al Gore enlisted in the Army and went to Vietnam. George W. Bush joined the Texas National Guard and did not. But for many people in uniform, that makes little difference. It is Mr. Bush, not Mr. Gore, who seems to enjoy some automatic credibility with the military because of his party affiliation, his policy positions, his running mate, his advisers - and his father.

If Mr. Gore hoped his own military record would make him more palatable to the nation's 1.4 million men and women in uniform - and by extension the 24 million who are veterans - he might be disappointed.

Eight years after President Clinton's lack of a military record and his advocacy for gays in the military set the stage for his roiling relations with the Pentagon, Mr. Gore appears to have far less support in the military, especially among the officer corps, than his opponent. Mr. Bush, who did not serve in Vietnam but trained as a fighter pilot during his National Guard stint, has wide support.

In about 20 interviews in recent weeks, those in uniform or recently retired from service expressed overwhelming, though not universal, support for Mr. Bush - not only as the Republican presidential candidate, but as a veteran and the son of former President Bush, who many said served ably as commander in chief during the military's shining moment after Vietnam, the Persian Gulf war.

They cited Governor Bush's policy proposals, his accusations that the Clinton administration had overseen a "military in decline," and his high- profile military advisers, including his vice-presidential running mate, Dick Cheney, a former secretary of defense, and Gen. Colin L. Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who Mr. Bush has all but said would be a member of his cabinet.

"People are just more comfortable with the idea of a Bush-Cheney- Powell team in the White House again," an Army colonel said. (Even an Air Force colonel inclined to vote for Mr. Gore said he wished he could still cast a vote for General Powell as secretary of state.)

And when it comes to military service, an issue that dogged Mr. Clinton's campaign in 1992, many of those interviewed gave Mr. Bush the benefit of the doubt for his time in the National Guard, which attracted thousands of young people trying to avoid going to war in Vietnam. And they offered only grudging respect for Mr. Gore's decision to volunteer.

By contrast, it is not hard for Mr. Bush's supporters in uniform to find something to admire in his service flying F-102 Delta Dagger fighters for the Guard, even if he never went to war. "Anybody who was willing to take the risks to learn to be a fighter pilot is worthy," said one Army general, himself a Vietnam combat veteran. "He made a contribution."

Several military men noted that Mr. Gore was an Army journalist - a profession of ill repute to many in uniform even if he was toiling on behalf of the Pentagon - and served an abbreviated tour in Vietnam. "If he had served in combat and brought home a Purple Heart," an Army colonel said, "the contrast might have been greater."

Instead, as another officer put it using the sort of colorful language often heard in the military, "He was a public affairs puke."

The men and women in the military, of course, have traditionally been more conservative than the general electorate, especially those in the officer corps. In recent years, more of its members than ever have identified themselves as Republican. A survey last year by the Triangle Institute for Security Studies, a nonprofit foundation based in North Carolina, found that 64 percent of young officers were Republicans, compared with only 8 percent who were Democrats.

So support for Mr. Bush from those in uniform is not altogether surprising. Throughout his campaign, Mr. Bush has surrounded himself with so many retired generals and admirals, including General Powell and Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, that some Gore advisers have taken to envious sniping.

"This is the kind of thing you see in the Third World - all these generals lining up behind the politicians," one Gore adviser said.

Today, Mr. Cheney announced the endorsements of an array of retired military leaders, including several senior officers who served in influential positions under Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore, a fact the Bush campaign was careful to emphasize.

One of those endorsing Mr. Bush, Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who recently stepped down as commander of American forces in the Persian Gulf, said he did not agree with some of the harshest accusations that Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gore had deliberately run down the military.

Still General Zinni said a changing world and mounting problems with readiness, including shortages of spare parts and problems with recruiting and retaining quality troops, needed more attention than they had received.

"We've have these problems for a couple years and they haven't been addressed," General Zinni said. He, too, praised Mr. Bush's advisers, including Richard L. Armitage, a senior Pentagon official in President Reagan's administration.

"To think that people like Cheney and Powell and Armitage will be part of a Bush administration," he added, "encourages me that there might be answers."

The military is not monolithic, of course. And Mr. Gore has several high-ranking military retirees supporting him. Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. William Owens, a former vice chairman, have both advised the Gore campaign.

Several of those interviewed said Mr. Gore had stronger support among the enlisted ranks, which are more racially and economically diverse than the officer corps. One Army officer said that Mr. Gore was seen as more likely to be supportive of expanding the presence of women in uniform, noting that the Republican platform calls for separating new recruits by sex in basic training, something many women in uniform do not support.

"I think women and minorities will look at who is giving them the best opportunities," the Army officer said.

Still, it was clear that Mr. Gore - despite his own record, his service on the Senate's Armed Services Committee and his relatively more hawkish views on defense issues compared with other Democrats - suffered from his association with Mr. Clinton, whose relations with the military, especially early in his first administration, were tumultuous.

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, people still serving in the military are prohibited from making disparaging remarks about civilian leaders, and the Pentagon's policy forbids overtly partisan political activities, so all of those interviewed in recent weeks spoke only if they would not be identified by name and, in some cases, rank, service and base.

Several said concerns about military readiness, which Mr. Bush has relentlessly raised, had grown on Mr. Gore's watch.

They also cited one of Mr. Gore's early missteps. During the primaries Mr. Gore said he would make support for gays serving openly in the military a condition for officers being considered for a position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Gore reversed himself within days, but to many the damage was done.

"That was a disaster," a Navy officer said.

Leon S. Fuerth, a senior adviser to Mr. Gore, said that Mr. Gore had built enormous credibility on defense issues as a senator and as vice president. Mr. Fuerth also said Mr. Gore's service as an Army private would give him "some insight and understanding of military life" that would help him in dealing with the Pentagon's brass.

"President Clinton developed an excellent rapport with the armed services as time went on, but at the very beginning of the first Clinton administration, that wasn't yet in place," Mr. Fuerth said. "In the very beginning of a Gore administration, it would be in place."

Even one of Mr. Bush's staunchest supporters - the former commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Charles C. Krulak - agreed.

"All the people I talk to in the military, both those serving today and those who like me have retired," General Krulak said, "they're just happy to have somebody who knows how to salute."

---

Funds Low for Hawaii Island Cleanup

Associated Press
September 21, 2000 Filed at 3:17 a.m. ET
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Kahoolawe-Cleanup.html

HONOLULU (AP) -- Kahoolawe is a sacred island to native Hawaiians, home to their gods and the ancient place where their navigators learned to travel the seas by starlight.

Today it is a scarred island, a place where decades of bombing and target practice have left tons of military debris cratering its surface and buried within its soil.

The future of the island, where Hawaiian elders were trained to pass on their ancient Polynesian culture, is not much brighter.

With a December 2003 deadline to clear the island of as much unexploded ordnance as possible, the U.S. Navy now says it doesn't have enough time or money to meet its original bomb removal goals.

The head of the commission acting as caretaker of the island says he will consider legal action if the cleanup isn't as extensive as first promised.

Kahoolawe, the smallest of the eight major Hawaiian islands, is 11 miles long and 7 miles wide, and roughly 28,800 acres. It lies six miles southwest of Maui.

The island was inhabited by several hundred Hawaiians for more than 1,000 years before the population gradually left. The Navy took control during World War II and began using it as a target site.

Following protests in the mid-1970s that spawned the current Hawaiian sovereignty movement, a presidential order was issued in 1990 halting the bombing and ordering the island restored and returned to Hawaii.

Congress agreed in 1993 to spend up to $400 million to clear ordnance from the 45-square-mile, mostly barren island that is home to the last two remaining kanaloa plants on the planet.

The original cleanup plan called for removal of 100 percent of surface ordnance and up to 30 percent of ordnance buried within four feet of the surface. Work began in 1997.

The Navy in its most recent assessment this summer admitted it won't reach the original target goals and asked the Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission to revise its cleanup priorities.

``With 3 1/2 years to go before the deadline we are taking a look and, based on production, we may not get there,'' said Lt. Cmdr. Paul Borkowski, head of the Navy's cleanup operation.

``It's important to realize that a cleanup of this magnitude, to my knowledge, has not been attempted anywhere,'' Borkowski said. ``It's an uninhabited island with no infrastructure, no fresh water, with 50 years of unexploded ordnance.''

The Navy comments are upsetting to Keoni Fairbanks, chairman of the commission that is responsible for setting policy and making long-term plans to turn the island into a native Hawaiian cultural reserve.

``They told us they're not going to finish. I feel very cheated and also very frustrated,'' Fairbanks said. ``The question is whether they have a legal obligation to finish. We are exploring our options.''

The Navy said in July that $179 million has been released for use by Congress and that it has spent $109 million. It expects an additional $150 million to be authorized before the 2003 deadline.

But Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said it wasn't reasonable to expect Congress to provide more time or money for the cleanup.

``The amount of money authorized is a huge amount. I think most people would say it's an admirable amount,'' Inouye said. ``The plan never did indicate a total 100 percent cleanup of that island.''

Now workers are concentrating on a 200-meter-wide band around the island's perimeter, since shoreline areas are expected to be most used when Hawaiian cultural activities are allowed.

News that the project is running out of cash comes just months after a claims tribunal said the federal government should pay $341 million to compensate the survivors and descendants of more than 100 people relocated from their homes on Enewetak Atoll, a Marshall Island atoll pummeled by 43 nuclear blasts.

And last week, the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures called on the U.S. and Japanese governments to remove unexploded ordnance that have been on their islands since World War II.

On the Net:
Kahoolawe Island Reserve Commission: http://www.hawaii.gov/kirc
Pacific Division Naval Facilities Engineering Command: http://www.efdpac.navfac.navy.mil

---

USA Today
09/21/00
States
http://usatoday.com/news/states/all50.htm

Nebraska

Lincoln - Retired Air Force Col. Roger Lempke was named adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard. He will replace Gen. Stanley Heng, who is retiring in December after 13 years as director of the National Guard and Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

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Counting the cost

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
Philip Gold
http://208.246.212.80/op-ed/ed-column-2000921173840.htm

There comes a time in any defense debate when somebody has to risk unilateral rationality. That time has come in the strange, not to say bizarre, squabble over which is preferable: no dead Americans, some dead Americans, lots of dead Americans. Put differently, the argument is over whether the American people and their leaders will or can accept combat casualties, and the effect of such reticence on the military.

First, three obvious items, leading to a rational conclusion. Then a little history. Then a not-so-obvious assertion, leading to another (hopefully) rational conclusion.

First obvious item: Leaders come. Leaders go. What's unacceptable to one may be sad but tolerable to another. Second obvious item: The mood of the American people can change overnight, depending on the situation (Remember Pearl Harbor, the Maine, the next disaster, etc.). Third obvious item: Casualties, although abhorrent, become acceptable to the extent that they're viewed as accomplishing something important within an appropriate period of time.

Rational conclusion: Nothing definitive can be said about future civilian or leadership reticence in this matter.

Now for some history. Throughout the 20th century, casualty avoidance and minimization were essential parts of the American Way of War. In the First World War, President Woodrow Wilson and Gen. John Pershing adamantly refused, save in extremis, to parcel out American troops to the British and French, rightly suspecting that they would be used as cannon fodder. We demanded and got quiet sectors and time to prepare for combat.

(Historical curiosity. We ran two convoy routes to Europe, one for supplies, one for troops. German U-boats concentrated on the supply ships. Had the wolf packs gone for the troop convoys, killing tens of thousands of Americans before they ever got ashore, how might public opinion have reacted then?)

In World War II, casualty avoidance took many forms. Despite desperate Soviet importunings, we refused to open a second front in Europe until absolutely ready. Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Pacific campaign was a masterpiece of keeping the deaths down. The Marines bypassed many strongly defended Japanese islands. We practically begged the Soviets to declare war on Japan so we wouldn't have to fight the main Japanese forces in China. And then there were those two ultimate acts of casualty avoidance: Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which made invasion unnecessary.

And in America's wars since - the lavish, sometimes preposterous use of firepower; the world's finest MedEvac and search-and-rescue capabilities; rejection of schemes that risk heavy casualties, such as the initial Desert Storm plan. So there's absolutely nothing new about casualty avoidance as an omnipresent consideration . . . except, perhaps, that prior generations understood that sometimes you simply have to bleed.

Have we lost that somber truth? Today, the critics claim, casualty-intolerance cripples the military in the field. First Beirut. Then Somalia. Most recently, the Kosovo experience: aircraft dropping bombs from 15,000 feet to avoid ground fire. (What was the Air Force limit in Vietnam? 5,000 feet?)

And then there's what has become known as "radical force protection." Some months ago, a young Army lieutenant back from Bosnia told a West Point class, "I tell my men every day there is nothing there worth one of them dying for, because minimizing really prohibiting casualties is the top-priority mission I have been given by my battalion commander."

So what's wrong with that? Is there really anything in Bosnia worth the bones of an Arkansas grenadier? Why should the military not be grateful for such civilian solicitude? After all, as the (military) pig told the (civilian) chicken whilst the two gazed upon a rural billboard featuring a ham and eggs breakfast: For you it's a contribution. For me it's total commitment.

There is a reason. And it has to do with more than body bags.

As a profession, the military exists for one purpose - to accomplish the mission. Sometimes the mission may be pristine: decisive victory over a clear and present danger. Sometimes, the mission may be murky and open-ended: patrol the roads of Kosovo or the skies of Iraq. Those who argue that the United States should only commit troops for the former ignore the realities and complexities of the 21st century. Those who argue that the military can be used anywhere, any time, for any reason ignore human nature.

In recent years, there has developed in the military an attitude not seen since Vietnam. It might be called, "contempt of mission." It's not restricted to any service. It has many aspects, from dislike of the current commander-in-chief to doubts over certain deployments and employments, to individual and organizational frustration and fatigue. Under such circumstances, extreme casualty avoidance is a mixed blessing. It makes the odium more tolerable for those involved. But it also adds an exceptionally pernicious element to the mix that constitutes contempt of mission. Long-term, no professional military can abide it.

In sum, casualty avoidance and minimization are solemn and traditional duties of both military and civilian leadership. Anybody who thinks casualties are cool has no business in this business. Sometimes, as in the current Balkan situation, they can be a legitimate primary concern. But they can also damage the essence of the military's professional purpose, and the ethics attendant thereon.

Conclusion: If as a nation we've lost the sense that we sometimes have to bleed, give thanks we've had the luxury of such self-delusion for so long. If within the military, casualty-intolerance and contempt of mission intensify . . . we won't have that luxury much longer.

Philip Gold is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute in Seattle and president of Aretea, a cultural affairs center

-------- OTHER

-------- alternative energy

USA Today
09/21/00
States
http://usatoday.com/news/states/all50.htm

North Dakota

Granville - Lannie Kunkel is watering his cows with help from the sun. Kunkel erected solar panels to power a well pump, at the suggestion of the Verendrye Electric Cooperative. On sunny days, the solar-powered systems can pump 4 gallons a minute.

----

Israel's Solel opens industrial solar energy centre

ISRAEL: September 21, 2000
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=8271

BEIT SHEMESH, Israel - Solel Solar Systems Israel launched yesterday a solar thermal energy centre which will develop industrial electricity systems using the power of the sun and thereby reducing fossil fuel dependency.

"Solar is getting more exposure because of the higher oil prices," said Avi Brenmiller, president and chief executive officer of the privately-held Israeli company.

The above-ground solar panel collectors, which take up about 1,000 square metres on Solel's site west of Jerusalem, will supply all of Solel's heating and air conditioning and 70 percent of the plant's electricity needs.

The panels can be placed anywhere - on the ground or, if space is limited, on the roof.

Brenmiller said that while solar energy remains costlier than fossil fuels at about $0.10 per kilowatt hour compared to half that using oil, solar is cleaner and safer for the environment.

But since the cost of pollution cleanup of fossil fuels runs $0.05-$0.06 per kilowatt hour, the costs are ultimately the same, he said.

At the centre's launch, Brenmiller said the new technology - in which Solel's panels retain 97 percent of the solar power collected - has led to discussions with a number of hotels and plants across Europe, Austraila and the Middle East.

Mohamed Subhi of Egypt's Ministry of Energy said Egypt is collaborating on solar projects with Solel to produce cleaner electricity.

"It's still a high cost," he said. "But now with oil prices on the rise the majority of countries will use this technology."

---------- environment

Pesticide Spraying in City Is Illegal, Lawyer Argues

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By LAURA MANSNERUS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/nyregion/21NILE.html

In a lawsuit over New York City's use of pesticides to control West Nile virus, a lawyer for a coalition of environmental groups argued yesterday that using the chemicals in heavily populated areas violated federal and state environmental laws.

After showing a videotape of spray trucks emitting plumes of Anvil, a pesticide, over sidewalks in Harlem, Karl S. Coplan, the lawyer, told Judge John S. Martin Jr. of Federal District Court in Manhattan that spraying the chemicals had violated federal laws.

Judge Martin heard final arguments yesterday on a motion from the coalition to stop New York City from spraying until the matter can be decided in a trial.

A lawyer for the city, Inga Van Eysden, defended the spraying, arguing that the pesticide had been approved for mosquito control by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and that the city's use of them had the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Judge Martin made no ruling in the case yesterday.

The plaintiffs, represented by the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic at the Pace University School of Law, filed suit on July 20. A week later, Judge Harold A. Baer Jr. denied their motion for an emergency order to halt the spraying of Anvil, a common pesticide used by the city.

The city continued to use the pesticide through the summer. Insecticides have been sprayed in all five boroughs and in Westchester and Rockland Counties, on Long Island and in Connecticut and New Jersey. The spraying is to continue until cold weather ends the mosquito season.

The plaintiffs argued in hearings before Judge Martin this week that the city created a public panic over the mosquito-borne virus, which killed 7 people last year and has sickened 11 this year. The city records far more cases of diseases like influenza and hepatitis, Mr. Coplan said, "and nobody is calling this an emergency."

The suit claims that spraying the insecticide violates two state environmental laws as well as the federal Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs toxic substances that present an "imminent and substantial endangerment" to health or the environment.

Questioned by the judge yesterday about balancing the risks of pesticide use against the risks of West Nile infection, Mr. Coplan said the spraying was prohibited by those laws "even if you're doing it to save a life."

The plaintiffs presented three witnesses Monday who told of suffering several ill effects from the spraying.

But Dr. Robert S. Hoffman, the director of the city's poison control center, testified yesterday that the concentration and amount of pesticide sprayed were "far too small to be of concern."

Dr. Hoffman said the center had received about 300 complaints this year reporting symptoms of pesticide exposure, which he added was not significantly higher than the number received in 1998, before any spraying began.

---

Cleanup Fights Hillbilly Stereotype

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By FRANCIS X. CLINES
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/national/21KENT.html

McKEE, Ky., Sept. 18 - Harvey Parrott, who hunts wild turkeys in his breathtaking native countryside hereabouts, could not believe his eyes and slammed on the brakes of his vehicle on the narrow forest road.

"You're gonna do what?" he asked, incredulous as a young woman peered 200 feet down into the creek-side melange of the Adkins Town Road dump, an illegal eyesore mushrooming at the bottom of a mountain hollow. She had to tell him twice that the mess would be rooted up and out by next spring, to the very last bedspring, horse cadaver and rat's nest.

"And we'll plant grass seed and put TV cameras on it after," said the woman, Karen Engle, the director of a determined citizens' cleanup movement, as she studied the fetid jumble below, one of the countless "holler dumps" that long have pocked the beauty of Appalachia.

"Well, I been sick and so sad about that dump forever," said Mr. Parrott, who lives just up the switchback road. Delighted with the news, he was doubtful that friends and neighbors could ever be stopped from blithely tipping tons of trash, including worn-out sofas, broken appliances and food scraps, down the hillside.

But Ms. Engle was here to tell him the news: 40 counties of eastern Kentucky, intent on scrubbing forth a new national image, have banded together to root out the countless festering garbage dumps and the pipes that dump raw sewage into creeks and ditches, features that long have broadcast a stereotype of backwoods fecklessness in Appalachia.

The eastern Kentucky effort, called Pride (Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment), an alliance of federal, state and volunteer workers, was considered politically risky when it was conceived four years ago by the local congressman, Representative Harold Rogers, and the state secretary of natural resources, James E. Bickford.

After all, even with the opening of modern legal landfills, the traditions of impoverished mountain hamlets and mining camps die hard. With no organized sanitation for much of the 20th century, rural residents had long tolerated the netherworld cascade of holler dumps and the post-outhouse "straight-pipe" way of sanitation from mobile homes and simple cottages - sewage primitively piped straight out into the Great Outdoors.

But the cleanup has quietly caught on, with 1,996 dumps mapped and turned into targets by searchers so far and 377 of them eliminated. The worst of them required a 7,000-ton, $1 million engineering feat, said Ms. Engle, executive director of Pride, a nonprofit agency of six workers who coordinate the effort. Owners of the first 36,000 straight-pipe sources of pollution, a minority of the overall problem, are being offered low- interest loans of $1,500 for septic tanks or sewer linkups, and 2,600 of them are signed up.

The effort has cost $70 million so far in federal money, plus in- kind services and equipment, like video security, from state and local workers. Mr. Rogers tailored a change in federal law allowing the Army Corps of Engineers, long identified with massive river-control programs, to pursue subtler backwoods needs here. The corps has created wetland lagoons to treat sewage from mountain hollows and introduced trash-skimming boats and barriers on lakes and rivers.

The program has proved popular despite roiling old habits, with tens of thousands of volunteers and students wading into the dumps and even discreetly informing on neighbors still using straight pipes and indulging in "holler tipping." Breathitt County provided a measure of the excitement with a $5 bounty for each appliance reclaimed from a dump or creek. In three days, residents had amassed a mountain of more than 5,000 rusted hulks for recycling, and the county had to float a loan to keep it growing.

"For years, this was all a point of shame," Mr. Rogers said of the blight on his beloved eastern Kentucky, one of Appalachia's longer- suffering but gritty regions. "To me, the most amazing thing is what Pride is doing to local politics: every candidate is suddenly running on platforms of cleaning up their county."

The political effects have resonated beyond the 40-county region. A new state law denies hookups for electricity to any new home that relies on straight-pipe sanitation. A central court, outside the region in Lexington, was designed to avoid having local juries judge and punish their sloppy neighbors. It has been ordering the worst polluters to pay $1,000 fines and haul out four tons of trash per violation as community service.

"People dump everything down the hollers - a wooden leg, dead house pets," Mr. Bickford said. "We even caught a guy on one of our cameras shooting his dog."

With the new cleanup zeal, a special legislative session next winter will take up Gov. Paul E. Patton's omnibus sanitation proposal, which would provide for the first mandatory statewide garbage pickup in Kentucky, an old coal-and-timber state not previously rated as strong on environmentalism. Twenty-three of the state's 120 counties have made garbage collection mandatory in recent years, 18 of them in the Pride region.

Mr. Rogers says the volunteers and the students avidly testing water quality and hauling trash provide the ultimate riposte to the old offensive clichés about Appalachian folk - notions that, visitors easily see, do not apply in the face of the high-tech "Silicon Holler" budding near Hazard. "The old stereotype of the mountain people was a creation of time and the press," Mr. Rogers said. "But now I defy any other region to match what our people are doing to make their place better."

Mr. Bickford, a retired Army general who ran the global fuel supply lines for the military services, returned home to Harlan County after 30 years of world travel and was appalled by how pervasively the "throwaway society" had marred the glory of Appalachia.

"I tell people we still got the natural beauty, but why aren't the tourists here?" he asks. "I remind them our trash is not unique and tourists aren't going to pay to come and view it."

In Whitley County, Steve Schwartz packs a pistol and roams in a truck that proclaims "environmental officer," as watchful as an old revenue agent. He writes trash citations that can bring fines of $500.

"People were disturbed by all this at first, but they gradually began reporting neighbors when they saw things improving," said Mr. Schwartz, as he confronted a man named Lester about a straight pipe leading to a drainage ditch from his rundown trailer.

Closely watching Lester and the Law was Judy Brimm, the local Pride volunteer. "In the past, the straight-pipe problem simply wasn't discussed by anyone," she said. "But the more I roamed around, the more irritated I got at what I saw. We tracked 63 dumps in the county and have cleaned up 38. But I found another 12."

She is grateful for the peer pressure that has sprung up over the dumps and straight pipes.

"Mountain people are very proud," Mr. Bickford said. "We may still have a lot of Bubbas and Billy Bobs here, but I've seen a lot of Bubbas and Billy Bobs in New York City, too. All very good people, once they see a problem and get after it."

---

USA Today
09/21/00
States
http://usatoday.com/news/states/all50.htm

California

Camp Pendleton - Nearly 3 million gallons of raw sewage that spilled into the Santa Margarita River on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base has harmed wildlife, including the endangered tidewater goby, a small fish. A biologist urged base officials to isolate the spill and pump out as much of the sewage as possible.

Delaware

Dover - Delaware farmers said they might delay a year-old state program regulating large-scale fertilizer use to protest proposed federal controls of livestock waste. Members of the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission, a panel controlled by poultry farmers and others with interests in livestock manure and fertilizer, said they will fight tough new federal regulations intended to protect waterways from the polluting effects of manure and fertilizer runoff.

Illinois

Chicago - Premcor Refining Group was fined $2 million and put on probation for three years after it admitted covering up how much waste water it dumps into Little Calumet River. The government listed 62 unreported cases of excessive pollution from Premcor refineries.

Oregon

Portland - Rivers and streams are drying up because water users from irrigators to industrial companies can withdraw as much water as they need, according to WaterWatch of Oregon. The conservation group said the state's water-permit system ignores the needs of threatened fish stocks.

---

Alaska's black gold

Washington Times
EDITORIAL • September 21, 2000
http://208.246.212.80/op-ed/ed-house-2000921174326.htm

With gasoline prices at their highest level in a decade and U.S. oil reserves at an all-time low, it is time to consider the exploration of perhaps one of America's greatest untapped oil reserves, those in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Within that South Carolina-sized area in the Alaskan wilderness, 1.5 million acres along the northern Arctic coast near Prudhoe Bay have been set aside for potential resource development. According to the Department of Energy, "The area contains the largest onshore, unexplored, potentially productive geologic basins in the United States." The U.S. Geological Survey, updated May 2000, estimated that the area might contain up to 16 billion barrels of oil - five years of U.S. imports.

And yet, ANWR has been off limits. The area is also known as a caribou nursery, where a vast herd spends six weeks each summer giving birth and fattening up for the winter. Opponents of development claim that it could have a negative impact on the caribou and thus, on the Indians who depend on them for sustenance.

Yet judging by the oil fields in Pruhoe Bay, the exact opposite is far more likely to be true. Since 1975, the Western Arctic Herd (of caribou) has grown by nearly 400 percent, from under 100,000 to over 450,000. According to Oliver Leavitt, chairman of the Arctic Slope Regional Corp. (ASRC), a group representing 8,000 pro-development Eskimos, "We found the caribou are adaptable. The herds grew. None of it went away. We found responsible oil development is compatible with our traditional life."

Besides, America needs the oil. Sen. Frank Murkowsi, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a proponent of ANWR development, recently told reporter Tom Carter of The Washington Times, who recently returned from exploring the subject in Alaska's northern reaches: "Now we are at 56 percent-plus on imports. Our increased dependence (on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) is like being set up to be blackmailed."

Yet more is at stake than caribou or even national security: The lives of the Native Americans scratching out a living in the area could be dramatically improved by such exploration. Mr. Rexford, head of the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp. in Kaktovik, located within the development area said, "The future is pretty bleak unless they let us drill for oil on our lands."

They should. Native Americans should be permitted to exercise their property rights by exploring the energy potential of the ANWR - especially when all Americans could benefit.

---

Department of arson

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
Kenneth D. Smith
http://208.246.212.80/op-ed/ed-column-2000921181618.htm

It was a little more than two years ago that a utility crew clearing trees from its power lines got a call from the U.S. Forest Service warning it against further cutting. The clearing might violate regulations designed to protect the habitat of the endangered Mexican Spotted Owl, the agency explained. Utility officials, who had already received one cease-and-desist order, called off the crew. So workers never got to an aspen tree further ahead that towered over the power line like nature's sword of Damocles.

It is that tree that the Otero County, N.M., Sheriff's Office and others now believe collapsed onto the power line during high winds, setting off a blaze in May that consumed 64 homes, 16,000 acres and, by one estimate, four spotted owls. Two men working in the firefighting that followed also died when their plane crashed. Otero County officials have since passed a resolution asking New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson to declare a stateof emergency that would protect the county both from the continuing threat of catastrophic fire and from the federal policies that fuel it.

What's happening in Otero County these days would be noteworthy under any circumstances but particularly now because of congressional plans to help still more parts of the country enjoy the benefits of federal land management. In the remaining days of the session, lawmakers are likely to take up something known as the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), which would effectively set aside more than $40 billion for the purchase of private lands, ostensibly in the name of conservation, recreation and other ideals too precious to trust to the private sector. Alaska Rep. Don Young introduced the legislation, but as other lawmakers have discovered just how much federal help it would allow them to offer to their own constituents, their enthusiasm has grown correspondingly.

It certainly is decent of the federal government to offer to pay for land it wants rather than divesting someone of it in the name of the public good, as it does so often now. Even assuming, however, that the check won't bounce, the question is whether man and animal can survive any more government help than they are already getting.

The threat of catastrophic fire on government lands is hardly new. A 1995 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report warned that failure to manage the prevention of catastrophic fires was the biggest threat to Mexican Spotted Owl recovery.

The events leading up to the fires in Otero County, although officials there probably didn't know it, date from the passage of the Endangered Species Act three decades ago. In 1995 the Forest Service sent officials at the Otero County Electric Cooperative a notice warning them "to cease and desist all cutting of trees associated with your power lines on Lincoln National Forest lands." The cutting, the agency said, "may potentially be in violation of the Endangered Species Act," at least as the Forest Service and a federal judge had interpreted it.

A subsequent internal agency memo gave conditional approval to further clearing work. On the one hand, it provided that the cooperative could remove tree hazards that pose an obvious and immediate threat to life and property. On the other hand, the agency and cooperative would have to make a determination of the hazard on a "site specific" basis, which meant in effect that they would have to walk potentially hundreds of miles along the power line to inspect each potential hazard. Dead trees leaning toward the power lines could possibly, maybe, perhaps be cut down. Roll the dice and see (come on, lucky seven). But dead trees leaning parallel to or away from the power lines would probably, sort of, kind of have to stay. It depended. While the agency and cooperative caucused over what could or could not go, the wind blew the aspen over onto the power lines and made the question academic.

Max Goodwin, the district ranger who sent the 1995 memo to the Otero cooperative, declined responsibility for the fire in an interview, but he did say that the Endangered Species Act has caused perhaps the biggest change in management of federal forest lands that he can recall. Ironically, the agency recently transferred him to its appeals and litigation staff in Albuquerque, N.M., where he now deals, among other things, with lawsuits over forest management that have sprung from the act.

Meanwhile Otero commissioners, fearful of being torched again, want protection from any more help from the federal government. It is, said the commissioners, "beyond question in the minds of reasonable men that the Forest Service . . .has exposed citizens of the State of New Mexico to the State of Emergency."

CARA's sponsors should explain why exposing still more land to such "protection" is something either man or animal should endorse.

E-mail: smithk@twtmail.com

Kenneth Smith is deputy editorial page editor of The Washington Times.His column appears on Thursdays.

-------- imf / world bank

IMF Chief Steps Up Call To Increase Euro's Value
U.S. Remains Cool To Intervention Idea

Wall Street Journal
September 21, 2000
By PAUL HOFHEINZ and MICHAEL R. SESIT Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

PRAGUE -- For the second day in a row, a top International Monetary Fund official put public pressure on the world's big economies to intervene to support the euro, as the currency continued to slide against the dollar. There were, however, no signs that the U.S. is now prepared to join in such an effort.

Calling the euro "heavily undervalued," the IMF's new managing director, Horst Koehler told reporters, "It is ... clear that intervention cannot be taboo because it is part of the instruments any central bank or government have available." The day before, the IMF's chief economist, Michael Mussa, said the circumstances in which conditions are ripe for coordinated intervention are rare, and added: "One has to ask: If not now, when?"

The unusually blunt comments from the IMF officials sparked speculation in financial markets that finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven leading industrial nations, who meet in Prague this Saturday, may be preparing to step up the rhetoric about the euro or agree on joint intervention.

The speculation didn't help the currency, however. The euro fell Wednesday to another new low amid signs that European economies could be weakening.

The euro, which was born at $1.17 in January 1999, was trading at 84.75 U.S. cents in New York late Wednesday afternoon, down from 85.14 U.S. cents Tuesday.

One reason the IMF official's comments didn't spark a rally in the euro is that many observers believe conditions simply aren't right for intervention. The current conventional wisdom about currency-market intervention, particularly among U.S. officials, is that it's most likely to succeed when it is coordinated among big economies, announced publicly, and catches the markets by surprise. Although G-7 officials seem to agree that the euro is oversold -- and, by implication, that the dollar is unsustainably strong -- widespread expectations about intervention are a reason to delay, not a reason to act now.

American Hesitation

The current leadership of the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve is less prone to intervene in currency markets than its predecessors. And the Clinton administration is likely to be hesitant to push down the value of the U.S. dollar on the eve of the presidential elections, especially because of the risk, albeit small, that it could set off a steep confidence-shattering plunge in the currency.

"At this stage, the timing is not right for intervention," said Michael Lewis, a senior currency strategist at Deutsche Bank in London. "It could encourage capital outflows from the U.S. And it would risk a lower stock market and bring forward the risk of Fed tightening in the run-up to the U.S. election, a period when politicians would want a stable stock market and Fed policy on hold."

On Wednesday the euro fell further, suggesting that financial markets, at least, weren't counting on intervention. The currency, which was born at $1.17 in January 1999, fell to a low of 84.54 U.S. cents midday Wednesday in New York.

Some traders and analysts who don't anticipate intervention predict the euro will weaken further if this weekend's G-7 meeting fails to produce something substantial to boost the currency. In which case, "The market's next target is 80 [U.S.] cents' for the euro," Mr. Lewis said.

Jurgen Lindemann, a proprietary trader at IBJ International in London, said that the euro's fall might be arrested if at Saturday's G-7 meeting, the U.S. "gave a signal that the strong dollar is enough -- 'that we are happy with a strong dollar, but don't want it to strengthen any further.' " But he doubts that will happen.

'Intervention by Any Other Name'

The ECB has yet to explicitly intervene in currency markets to support the euro, but it did recently announce that it had spent $2.16 billion of its reserves to buy the euro on the open market. Many traders considered this an intervention, but its effect was muted when ECB President Wim Duisenberg said, "Intervening in the market was not our motive."

"Whatever they want to call it, it's intervention by any other name," said Karen E. Parker, director of currency research at Chase Securities Inc. in New York. Noting that the 11 national central banks in the euro-zone have roughly $10 billion of accrued interest on the foreign reserves they hold, Ms. Parker said, "If they had gotten the reaction they sought, they might have used the $10 billion" to try to drive the euro higher.

She laid out three conditions for market intervention to succeed: the market being significantly short euros, or a big bet with borrowed funds by traders and speculators that the euro would fall; a willingness by the ECB to back up any intervention with tighter monetary policy; and "market participants beginning to have second thoughts about selling the euro." Then, the intervention could be successful, even with a small amount of money," Ms. Parker said. "But none of those conditions are present."

Under the Maastricht treaty, euro-zone governments have the power to set guidelines for the euro, but the ECB handles day-to-day management of the currency. The ECB says it has the power to intervene in the currency market without the approval of the 11 -- soon to be 12 -- euro-zone governments, though it says it would consult with them. So far, there have been no hints of tension between finance ministers and ECB officials on whether to intervene.

But top European politicians shy from the mantra of ECB officials and finance ministers, who say they hope the euro will strengthen soon. On Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato told Handelsblatt, the German financial daily, that the weak euro is giving a boost to Italy's industry. "The weak euro makes businesses happy," Mr. Amato said, although he did add that it increases the danger of inflation. Earlier, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder made similar remarks. Export industries in both countries, which lag some other European economies, are getting a big boost from the weaker euro.

A Matter of Fundamentals

European officials welcomed the IMF's support for the euro but not its blunt talk about intervention.

Vitor Constancio, Portugal's central bank governor, called Mr. Mussa's remarks "inappropriate." Mr. Mussa's remarks were the kind of comments "somebody in his position would not normally make," he said. Yet the minister shared the IMF's view that the euro was "greatly undervalued." In a speech to a meeting of central bank chiefs from Portuguese-speaking countries Mr. Constancio said: "No evaluation of the European economy can justify the current exchange rate."

Despite his surprisingly strong remarks, the IMF's Mr. Koehler said he thought the euro's plight was overdramatized. "The project euro is a good project," he said. "The Europeans themselves know what they have to do."

"There should be less talk and more coordination," he said. "My advice is not to dramatize but to work steadily so that the euro comes back to its external value [and] that depends on economic fundamentals. Economic fundamentals have been good," he said.

-- David Wessel in Berlin contributed to this article.
Write to Paul Hofheinz at paul.hofheinz@wsj.com and Michael R. Sesit at michael.sesit@wsj.com

---

IMF Director Vows to Double Number of Debt-Relief Nations

Wall Street Journal
September 21, 2000
By PAUL HOFHEINZ Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96948578819988422.htm

PRAGUE -- Amid criticism that the institution he leads is callous about the plight of the poor, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Horst Koehler vowed to double the number of countries receiving debt relief by the end of the year.

"We are determined to bring the benefits of debt relief to as many countries as possible, as rapidly as possible," he said at a news conference here, on the eve of the IMF's annual meeting.

However, activists gathering in Prague to protest IMF policy dismissed the initiative. "They've been saying this for a long time and they just haven't delivered," said Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Specifically, Mr. Koehler vowed to double the number of nations receiving debt relief in a multilateral initiative in which the IMF participates. So far, 41 countries have qualified for debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries initiative. But only 10 of those countries have been given final approval to begin receiving the relief.

Mr. Koehler vowed to seek approval for 10 more countries by the end of the year. "I think it would be possible to bring 20 countries up to a decision point" by that time, he said.

Mr. Weisbrot, by contrast, pointed out that the multilateral institutions had taken four years to confirm the first 10 countries, and said he doubted that the goal would be met.

"They've been talking about HIPC since 1996," he said. "Until they really do delink the debt relief from these structural-adjustment programs and start canceling the debt, it's hard to take these announcements all that seriously."

The 10 countries that have qualified for debt relief under the initiative are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Honduras, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda.

The IMF says the 10 countries that Mr. Koehler would like to add to the list by the end of the year are Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Malawi, Nicaragua, Rwanda and Zambia.

The IMF says, however, that the program will cost $28 billion (32.87 billion euros) to administer in full. So far, the IMF and other multilateral funds involved in the initiative say they have enough money to pay for only $10 billion of debt relief.

The Group of Seven leading industrialized nations "needs to put its money where its mouth is," an IMF official said, pointing out that additional funding would have to come from the world's richest nations.

Write to Paul Hofheinz at paul.hofheinz@wsj.com

---

Chinese See Pain as Well as Profit in New Trade Era

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By CRAIG S. SMITH
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21CHIN.html

SHANGHAI Sept. 20 - China greeted its new prospects as a permanent American trade partner with official applause today, but there is growing trepidation as the country now shifts its focus to its future membership in the World Trade Organization.

Many Chinese worry that the country is ill-prepared to face the global competition that membership will bring. The global group's rules will force Chinese industries to become stronger in the long run, but many people are expected to lose their jobs along the way.

"It's a kind of double-edged sword," said Shen Dingli, an expert on China-United States relations. And people here are worried about the edge most likely to cut them.

The new trade status became a fait accompli when the Senate overwhelmingly passed a trade bill on Tuesday to end what China considered a humiliating annual debate about whether it deserved to be treated as a normal trade partner or warranted punishment for its shortcomings along with countries like Libya, Iraq and North Korea. The House already had approved the bill, and President Clinton is set to sign the law, which he considers a crowning achievement.

The new relationship will give both countries "a chance to start anew," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Beijing. But it is easy to find people here who worry about what that new beginning will bring. On Nanjing Road, Shanghai's busiest shopping street, two parking lot guards discussed the bleak prospects for Shanghai's auto industry, one of the town's biggest employers. "I think they'll die," one said.

And the manager of a cramped grocery store downtown shrugged with resignation when asked about the likely impact on his business.

"Already, medium-size shops like us can barely compete with the foreign megamarkets," said the gray- haired manager, who gave his name as Qiu. His prices are higher, the store's aisles narrower and its selection poorer than any of the sprawling Carrefours or Metros scattered around the city.

"We have high tariffs to protect us now, but after we join the W.T.O. there'll be no such protection," he said.

The trade bill has no direct bearing on China's membership in the 138-member regulatory group, which the country is likely to join later this year. But it clears the way for American companies to take part in the open markets that China promises to deliver as part of the trade group. Many of the markets to be opened are ones in which American companies are world leaders, so they pose the greatest challenge to Chinese companies.

Granting China permanent normal trade relations eliminates one of the main risks for American companies investing here. American-owned factories in China previously operated under the threat that they could be blocked from sending products home if the United States ever withdrew China's normal trading status. And Americans selling to the Chinese market worried during each year's debate that they could suffer an anti- American backlash.

That cloud has now disappeared.

With the bill approved and China's membership in the regulatory group on its way, China has become a more reliable low-cost production base for American companies, which have already invested more than $24 billion here. More investment dollars are now on their way to get a piece of the expanding market.

"Frankly speaking, this is a better deal for the U.S. than it is for China," said Lloyd Meeds, a former congressman and lobbyist from Washington State, one of the states that will benefit the most from expanding trade with China. Mr. Meeds is in Shanghai on a private visit.

But people like Lu Zhiqiang, deputy director of the central government's top research group, worry that China's local governments, industrial regulators and state-owned enterprises are not ready for what lies ahead, and he predicts that a wave of bankruptcies will sweep through the economy. "Solid and down-to-earth preparatory work is scarce," he was quoted as saying in the state-run China Daily this week.

China's 900 million peasants are among the least prepared. After China joins the world organization, duties for agricultural products will fall sharply from as high as 85 percent to 18 percent in some cases and import quotas will disappear, forcing China's farmers to compete with importers selling cheaper yet higher- quality American corn, soybeans, pork and chicken. American meat has already begun arriving in China under a related trade deal.

Other areas of the economy that have long been sheltered by government protection, telecommunications and banking, for example, will undergo wrenching change if China follows through on its promises to the World Trade Organization.

"The better-prepared businesses are those in sectors where there is already competition, such as manufacturing," said Zhang Xiaoji, an economist and member of Mr. Lu's research group. "The sectors that are still more or less monopolized by the government are less prepared."

The pain will not be reserved for Chinese companies alone. Western companies that have invested heavily in China often did so under the weight of costly obstacles, like lobbying, and they may now face competition from newcomers whose cost of entry to the market will presumably be lower, since barriers will be done away with under the world body.

And Western companies, like banks and insurers, will have to compete for China's limited number of white collar workers.

Foreigners also stand to lose the tax advantages that China has long offered as an enticement to investment. With protectionist barriers set to fall, many Chinese are calling for a unified tax system, so that local industries are not disadvantaged.

Nobody expects Beijing to deliver its economy to slaughter. Instead, its engagement in the W.T.O. beyond the tariff reductions or other well-defined areas is likely to be spotty and slow. For one thing, the organization's rules are often vague. And despite China's scramble to create a body of laws compatible with those rules, the interpretation of the laws will be left up to government agencies or local authorities that often have their own interests at stake.

What Beijing commands is not necessarily what local authorities obey. Companies that find themselves up against an infraction will direct complaints to the United States trade representative's office, which will undoubtedly be inundated with such claims.

"I think implementing the W.T.O. reforms is going to be a very gradual, drawn-out process," said Jon Eichelberger, a Beijing-based lawyer for the American firm Perkins Coie. He says that new laws and regulations take years to be adopted. And China usually leaves much up to the discretion of the agencies that carry them out. "I suspect that's going to continue," he said.

Still, parts of China's economy are preparing for membership. Through a spate of acquisitions, companies like Tsingtao Brewery are trying to build the critical mass necessary to compete with the world's multinationals.

And some sectors are relaxing restrictions ahead of schedule in hopes of helping domestic industries gain a better footing before new competitors arrive.

For example, the government has begun lifting restrictions on what models automakers can produce, and it has allowed companies some freedom in setting prices, even though the world organization will not demand those changes for another two years. The automakers' prospects are among the dimmest of China's key industries.

The result has been a spate of new models from the foreign auto companies whose joint ventures dominate the market. It has also allowed companies such as General Motors, Ford and Volkswagen to plan Chinese production of smaller, cheaper cars that can compete with imports once China joins the W.T.O. and protectionist tariffs fall from almost 100 percent now, to 25 percent within five years.

China is also opening its drug market to foreign retailers early, hoping to build a domestic industry that can compete. At least five foreign companies have teamed up with Chinese pharmaceutical companies to set up drugstore chains, among them Wal- Mart, which plans to set up pharmacies in the southern city of Shenzhen and Shanghai, China's commercial capital.

And foreign investors are being offered a majority stake in a proposed $2.4 billion, 2,500-mile natural gas pipeline from China's far western Xinjiang Autonomous Region to the east coast, the sort of strategic project that Beijing would never have allowed foreigners into before.

Foreign companies will soon also be allowed to bid for mineral prospecting rights.

Even the process of bidding has become more transparent. Projects up for bid must now be advertised in designated state newspapers, including the English-language China Daily. The government has set up a Web site to help: www.chinabidding .com.cn.

China will remove restrictions on distribution services for most products within three years after joining the world body. But it is already allowing logistics companies that help move imports in and out of a free trade zone in Shanghai to open branches in most Chinese cities.

China has already agreed to lift joint venture restrictions on large department stores and for virtually all chain stores. And it recently said it would allow foreign firms to own up to 65 percent in retail stores.

In many cases, W.T.O. membership will simply legalize what already exists.

Foreign headhunters will be officially allowed into China, though many of the big executive search firms are already operating here. And much of the foreign investment in Internet companies, now officially banned, will suddenly be legal.

But it raises legal questions, too.

Upon China's accession, foreign companies will be allowed to own up to 30 percent in companies providing value-added telecommunications services, including Internet content providers. But many such firms are already more than 30 percent foreign owned, and Beijing has given conflicting signals about whether those companies will be declared illegal.

Nor is it clear how e-commerce companies will be defined. Many of them provide additional services, and will argue that they should not be subject to ownership restrictions.

In some cases, foreign companies have begun jockeying for position to take early advantage of China's W.T.O. entry. Several Western firms are hooking up with Chinese fund management firms to offer advice, which is all they are now allowed to do. But after China joins, foreign companies will be allowed to own up to a third of fund managers and up to 49 percent after three years.

Foreign banks will be able to serve individual Chinese anywhere in the country after five years.

-------- police

Los Angeles Agrees to Changes for Police

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By TODD S. PURDUM
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/national/21ANGE.html

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 - Bowing to the inevitable, Los Angeles city officials have agreed to accept a federal court agreement that would require a series of long-sought changes in police management and training to head off a threatened civil rights lawsuit over what the Justice Department has called a systemic pattern of abusive conduct by officers here.

The City Council voted 10 to 2 on Tuesday to accept a binding federal consent decree, after Mayor Richard J. Riordan rescinded his threat of a veto and Police Chief Bernard C. Parks reluctantly dropped his opposition. Mr. Riordan won office in 1993 on a pledge to expand the police department and did so, only to find himself over the past year facing the threat of the lawsuit, plus a separate local investigation into police corruption and evidence-tampering that amounts to the worst such scandal in decades.

The agreement, which has yet to be given final approval by the Justice Department and a federal court, would require the department to collect data on the race of people stopped by officers in an effort to determine the extent of racial profiling, install a computerized tracking system to track complaints and disciplinary actions against officers, strengthen the civilian board of commissioners that oversees the police and create a special department unit to investigate shootings and use of force by officers.

"I think it's just terrific as a first step to police reform," said Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law professor at the University of Southern California and the author of a report for the police union that recommended accepting the consent decree and adopting similar changes.

"My only caution is that it's just a first step," Professor Chemerinsky said. "I think it's very important that this not be the occasion for declaring victory and moving on, because there's a lot it doesn't do."

Indeed, police conduct has been a major civic and political issue here at least since the videotaped beating of the motorist Rodney G. King in 1991 and a subsequent inquiry by Warren M. Christopher, which recommended broad changes in police management, some of which, like the tracking system for problem officers, have been delayed and argued over since. One goal of the threatened lawsuit, which federal officials announced in May, has been to force such changes now.

Bill Lann Lee, assistant attorney general for civil rights, expressed satisfaction at the vote. "This is yet another positive step, and we look forward to working with the negotiating team to reach a final agreement," Mr. Lee said in a statement.

The Justice Department has been conducting its inquiry since 1996, centering on excessive use of force by officers. It is operating under a 1994 federal law inspired by the King beating and the 1992 riots sparked by the acquittal of officers in the case.

The law authorizes federal prosecutors to go to court to force changes in the operations of local departments if it finds a "pattern and practice" of misconduct. Los Angeles would be the largest city to come under such supervision but the Justice Department has already reached consent decrees with police departments in Pittsburgh and Steubenville, Ohio, and with the New Jersey State Police, where the aim was to bar racial profiling in traffic stops by troopers. The United States attorney's office in Brooklyn has amassed what officials call evidence of systemwide problems in the New York Police Department's handling of brutality complaints, and the office is pressing New York for changes with the threat of a similar suit.

The city attorney and a majority of the Democratic-controlled City Council here, many of whose members have been seeking changes in the police department for years, had favored a consent decree, which would be overseen by an independent monitor and supervised by a federal judge. But Mr. Riordan, a Republican, and Mr. Parks had bitterly resisted any measure that smacked of ceding local control and resisted collecting data on racial profiling. Mr. Riordan agreed to support an agreement as long as it included language aimed at ensuring that city officials would retain management of the department, that paperwork for officers would be minimized and that the consent decree would expire after five years unless the Justice Department sought to extend it.

Officially, the department reports to a board of civilian commissioners appointed by the mayor, but it has long enjoyed an unusual degree of autonomy and regularly resisted civilian oversight. Voters approved creation of the office of an inspector general, recommended by Mr. Christopher's commission, to review department conduct, but the first two incumbents in that post complained that the department resisted requests for documents and data.

"The real question about the consent decree is will Parks comply," said Joe Domanick, the author of "To Protect and to Serve," a 1994 history of the department. "Because it goes against his entire professional and temperamental grain. But I do think it'll have to be a bit different now, because if the chief doesn't comply, then the monitor can take the department to federal court and order him to comply."

Among elements the Justice Department has said would be part of an agreement are tightened controls of the police units that monitor gangs, stricter guidelines for the use of confidential informants and a campaign of "community outreach" aimed at restoring public confidence.

Since last fall, the city has been shaken by a police corruption scandal that came to light after a rogue former officer in an antigang unit confessed to shooting an unarmed suspect and leaving him paralyzed, then testifying falsely at trial to send him to jail. More than 100 convictions have been thrown out by judges and prosecutors and 20 officers have left active duty. Officials say they expect more than 250 lawsuits to be filed by people wrongly accused of crimes, with potential legal costs to the city running into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

-------- spying

Mission: Possible
A missile hits Britain's secret service headquarters - and Londoners fear it could happen again British police guard the M.I.6. building after the attack

MSNBC
09/21/00
By Carla Power NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE
http://www.msnbc.com/news/464720.asp

September 21 - The imposing M.I.6. headquarters on the Thames makes tanks look frail. A ziggurat-like fortress of a building nicknamed Babylon-on-Thames, it was designed to keep the international wing of Britain's intelligence agencies safe from terrorists.

BUT AT 9:45 ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, the building was rocked by at least one explosion. The next morning, Scotland Yard admitted an embarrassing truth: a missile, fired at relatively close range, had hit the eighth floor. Whoever launched the missile had done so to make a point: it is possible to target the heart of the British security establishment-and hit it.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the missile strike, which caused only "minimal damage" to the M.I.6. building and no causualties or injuries. British investigators have said they are "keeping an open mind" as to who might have launched the missile, but speculation inevitably turned to dissident groups from Northern Ireland. "Certain terrorist groups will be uppermost in our minds through this investigation," said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry, head of Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorist Branch.

This morning, military intelligence officers arrived for work as usual, but on the eighth floor of their building, anti-terrorist officers combed the rubble-strewn site searching for clues. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Fry appealed to Londoners for help. "We know that communities defeat terrorism," he said. "We have proved that in the past, and once again we ask the community and the people of London and visitors in the vicinity last night to think about last night."

Police believe the missile was launched from a position between 220 and 550 yards away. There's speculation that the missile was launched by a small rocket launcher, less than 40 inches high, small enough to hide in a backpack. In the past, Irish groups have used these devices to launch from the inside of cars, terrorist experts say.

Londoners are worried that the M.I.6 missile is to be one of a string of strategically placed bombs. "We always urge the public to be vigilant," says a Scotland Yard spokeswoman. Yesterday's missile target wasn't a particularly original one. In last winter's James Bond blockbuster, "The World is Not Enough," a terrorist smuggles a bomb into M.I.6. headquarters, and blows the whole thing up. Real life, fortunately, has proved less dramatic-this time, at least.

---

Explosion Damages Headquarters of British Intelligence Agency

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21BRIT.html

LONDON, Thursday, Sept. 21 - A "small missile" struck the headquarters of Britain's M.I.6 intelligence agency in central London late Wednesday, causing an explosion on the eighth floor, the police said.

The explosion caused limited damage and no injuries at the 10-story structure. The police said they did not know who was responsible for the attack.

Witnesses reported hearing two explosions, large enough to send up a plume of white smoke and to rattle buildings across a railway. The blast brought firefighters, police officers and ambulances to the site on the south bank of the Thames River, and the police closed the area around the headquarters.

Alan Fry, the deputy assistant police commissioner in charge of the Anti-Terrorist Branch, said that at 9:45 p.m. "an object was fired at Vauxhall Cross, which is the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service."

"An examination of the exterior of the building showed that some form of small missile has hit the exterior at about the eighth floor," he said at a news conference.

Asked whether the object was like a mortar shell, he said he doubted that it was that powerful. "In all probability I would doubt it is a mortar," he said. "I would have expected more substantial damage."

Mr. Fry said no one had claimed responsibility. "Clearly we have to keep in mind the capabilities of dissident Irish groups, but at this stage we will not be ruling out any group who might see the Secret Intelligence Service as a target."

M.I.6, formed in 1921, is responsible for foreign intelligence. It is thought to cooperate closely with the domestic security service, M.I.5, in keeping track of Irish terror groups.

The explosion caused minimal damage, and the work of the intelligence service was not disrupted, Mr. Fry said. The high-tech spy headquarters bristles with security features, and much of it is below street level to protect the most sensitive areas from terrorist attacks.

The police immediately closed off roads leading to the area, located between Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges over the Thames. Officers cordoned off the building, barring even police cars from passing the barriers. The London Fire Brigade had two engines and crews at the scene.

"We just heard two God-almighty bangs, a loud one first, and then another one," said Theresa Harding, 68, who lives nearby. "We honestly thought it was fireworks."

One witness, Andrew Preece, told BBC News 24 he was driving home when he saw a flash of light coming from the top of the M.I.6 building.

"It looked as of it was internal from the center of the building but the flash of light was from the top of the building," he said. "It was followed by a large bang, and the ground seemed to shake and my car was shaking."

Earlier this year, the Foreign Office, which is responsible for the spy agency, said it was tightening security procedures after reported lapses. In March, a laptop computer that contained missing training information for one of Britain's spy agencies was mislaid but was recovered by the police two weeks later. News reports suggested that an M.I.6 agent left the laptop in a taxi after spending a night drinking at a bar near the agency's headquarters.

---

Projectile fired at British spy HQ

USA Today
09/21/00
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/nwswed04.htm

LONDON (AP) - Unknown attackers fired a ''small missile'' at the headquarters of Britain's MI6 intelligence agency in central London late Wednesday, causing an explosion on the eighth floor, police said.

The blast caused limited damage and no injuries at the 10-story structure at the heart of Britain's intelligence abroad.

Witnesses reported hearing two explosions, large enough to send up a plume of white smoke and to rattle buildings across a railway. The blast brought firefighters, police and ambulances to the site on the south bank of the River Thames, and police closed the area around the headquarters.

Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry, in charge of the Anti-Terrorist Branch, said that at 9:45 p.m. ''an object was fired at Vauxhall Cross, which is the headquarters of the Secret Intelligence Service.''

''An examination of the exterior of the building showed that some form of small missile has hit the exterior at about the eighth floor,'' he told a news conference.

Asked if the object was like a mortar shell, he said he doubted it was that powerful. ''In all probability I would doubt it is a mortar - I would have expected more substantial damage,'' he said. Fry said it was too early to say if Irish republican groups might be involved. ''Clearly we have to keep in mind the capabilities of dissident Irish groups, but at this stage we will not be ruling out any group who might see the secret intelligence service as a target,'' Fry said.

The blast caused minimal damage and the work of the intelligence service was not disrupted, he said, adding that no claim of responsibility for the attack has been made.

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, whose department is responsible for MI6, said there were no casualties.

The 10-story, cream and green modern-style structure was featured in the James Bond movie, ''The World is not Enough'' and in one scene was shown being blown up by a terrorist bomb.

Police immediately closed off roads leading to the area, located between Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges over the River Thames. Officers in yellow slickers cordoned off the building, barring even police cars from passing the barriers. The London Fire Brigade had two fire engines and crews at the scene.

''We just heard two God-almighty bangs, a loud one first, and then another one,'' said Theresa Harding, 68, who lives nearby. ''We honestly thought it was fireworks.''

One witness, Andrew Preece, told BBC News 24 he was driving home when he saw a flash of light coming from the top of the MI6 building.

''It looked as of it was internal from the center of the building but the flash of light was from the top of the building,'' he said. ''It was followed by a large bang and the ground seemed to shake and my car was shaking.''

Earlier this year, the Foreign Office said it was tightening security procedures after reported lapses.

In March, a laptop computer that contained missing training information for one of Britain's spy agencies was mislaid and recovered by police two weeks later. News reports suggested that an M16 agent left the laptop in a taxi after spending a night drinking at a bar near the agency's headquarters.

MI6, formed in 1921, is responsible for foreign intelligence. It is thought to cooperate closely with the domestic security service MI5 in keeping track of Irish terror groups.

The high-tech spy headquarters bristles with security features. Much of the complex is below street level to protect the most sensitive areas from terrorist attacks.

---

Terrorists may have used rocket launcher

USA Today
09/21/00
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/nwsthu03.htm

LONDON (AP) - Attackers who blasted the headquarters of Britain's intelligence service MI6 may have used a type of rocket launcher readily available to the Irish Republican Army and the hardline splinter groups which reject a cease-fire, police said Thursday.

No one was injured and damage was minimal when the building was struck by what police called a ''small missile'' Wednesday night. But the attack put Londoners on guard against a renewed spate of terrorist attacks and dealt a further blow to the security of the secretive spy agency.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry, head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch, told reporters that the missile may have been fired by a rocket launcher from a range of 200 to 500 yards.

Similar devices had been found in republican arms caches in Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic and may have been used in attacks in Britain, he said, adding that such weapons devices are freely available from Russia and the former Yugoslavia.

Police are keeping an open mind, but ''clearly the sort of weapon we believe was used in this attack is known to be in the hands of certain groups,'' Fry said. ''They will be uppermost in our minds.''

There had been no warning of the attack, which shattered a window and two wall panels on the eighth floor, Fry said. No one had yet claimed responsibility.

Earlier, as police began searching for evidence on the streets, river and railway lines around the modernist building on the Thames in central London, Fry urged vigilance against ''a genuine threat of terrorism in London.''

Police said attackers struck around 9:45 p.m. at the MI6 building, hitting the exterior of the eighth floor, near the top of the building.

They would not speculate on whether the missile had been launched from the river or from land. Fry said the projectile did not appear to have been a mortar shell because he would have expected more substantial damage.

''I heard two large bangs,'' said Sridharan Balakrishnan, an employee at gas station behind the MI6 building. ''It was very loud and hurt my ears. Then I saw smoke coming from the MI6 building.''

James Trott, who was crossing Vauxhall Bridge in a minibus when he heard the noise, reported seeing shattered glass littering the ground on the Thames side of the building. ''You're terrified when that sort of thing happens because you think there might be something else,'' he said.

Police sealed off roads around the area, and early train service to and from nearby Waterloo station, including the Eurostar service to Paris and Brussels, were also canceled Thursday, causing delays for thousands of commuters. Rail operators said at lunchtime that services were gradually being reinstated.

The IRA has observed a cease-fire since 1997, but dissidents within the ranks are believed to be responsible for a number of explosions in Northern Ireland and England in recent months.

In July, police detonated a bomb planted on railway tracks in west London. Government officials said they believed Irish paramilitaries were responsible.

In June, a small bomb exploded on London's Hammersmith Bridge, an IRA target in past years. No one claimed responsibility but police suspected Irish dissidents.

The distinctive cream and green MI6 headquarters was featured in the latest James Bond movie, ''The World Is Not Enough,'' and in one scene was shown being blown up by a terrorist bomb.

The high-tech building bristles with security features, including an extensive closed-circuit television system and bomb- and bulletproof walls and windows.

Earlier this year MI6, which is responsible for foreign intelligence, was warned that its ability to gather intelligence could be compromised by recent security lapses.

In March, a laptop computer containing training information for one of Britain's spy agencies was mislaid - reportedly by an MI6 agent in a taxi - and recovered by police two weeks later. A week earlier, another laptop was stolen from an officer of the domestic security service MI5 at London's Paddington station.

The secretive espionage agency was formed in 1921, when it was known as Military Intelligence, section six - or MI6 for short.

Since the end of the Cold War, MI6 has been redefining its role. It is thought to cooperate closely with MI5 in keeping track of Irish terror groups.

---

Iran spy case sentences cut

BBC News
Thursday, 21 September, 2000
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_935000/935672.stm

Khatami recently met Jewish leaders to reassure them An Iranian court has reduced the jail terms of 10 Jews convicted of spying for Israel.

The ruling by the appeals court in Fars Province cuts sentences ranging from two to 13 years handed to the men in July by between two and six years.

The court upheld convictions against the group of collaborating with Israel, but annulled guilty verdicts of membership in a clandestine spying ring, and of recruitment of new agents.

The trial had concerned some international Jewish groups and western countries over fears that the men had not received a fair trial under Iran's Islamic judicial system.

Human rights groups also questioned the fairness of the closed-door court with no jury and the judge also acting as prosecutor.

'Least possible sentences'

Hamid Tefilin, a shoe salesman, and Asher Zadmehr, a university professor - who had both received the highest prison terms of 13 years - had their sentences slashed to nine and seven years respectively.

Most of the remaining men had their sentences reduced by two years. Time served in prison since the men were arrested in 1999 will also be deducted, bringing release for some very close.

"These are the least possible sentences and we have used the ultimate of Islamic kindness and generosity," said the judiciary chief of Fars province, Hossein Ali Amiri.

Despite the shorter terms, the group's defence lawyer, Esmail Naseri, expressed his disappointment.

"In our view, Israel is the main winner from this verdict. We are unhappy, above all because the charge of collaborating with the Israeli regime has been maintained," he said.

"We thought it should have been quashed because Israel is not a state recognised by Iran... It amounts to an Iranian court recognising Israel, which could raise a political problem."

According to Iranian law, the men could have faced death sentences.

The acquittals of five others involved in the case - three other Iranian Jews and two Muslims - were upheld.

Death threats

On Wednesday Mr Naseri told the BBC he had received death threats during the case following severe pressure to admit his clients were guilty.

According to the BBC's regional analyst Sadeq Saba, the case is deeply entangled with the power struggle going on between Iranian leaders.

Supporters of reformist President Mohammad Khatami have been keen to resolve the issue as soon as possible in order to limit damage.

However, many fear that hardline conservatives will use the case to tarnish Mr Khatami's international image.

The case has also focused attention on the country's Jewish community, the oldest and biggest in the Middle East outside Israel.

Despite the bitter enmity between the Islamic Republic and Israel, the Jewish community has clung on and survived in Iran, albeit in dwindling numbers.

---

Iran Court Is Set to Rule on Jews' Appeal

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21JEWS.html

TEHRAN, Iran, Sept. 20 - The appeals court is to announce its ruling on Thursday in the case of 10 Iranian Jews convicted of spying for Israel, a judiciary official said today.

The judiciary chief of Fars Province, Hossein Ali Amiri, said the court would rule on the validity of the verdicts as well as the sentences.

"According to the law," he said, "the court cannot increase the sentences. It can only uphold or reduce the jail terms." He was speaking from the southern city of Shiraz, where the men were tried.

The 10 received terms ranging from 4 to 13 years. Three others were acquitted when the verdicts came down on July 1 after a closed trial.

The case attracted international attention, with United States and France urging Iran to ensure that the trial was fair. Jurists have questioned whether it could have been fair without a jury, and with the judge doubling as prosecutor.

Mr. Amiri said he had recently met the 10 men and found them "in good spirits and looking quite fine."

He added "They are staying together and sharing a few cells and we've allowed their families to provide them with kosher food twice a week."

---

Iranian court reduces sentences for 10 Jews

US Today
09/21/00
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/nwsthu01.htm

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An Iranian appeals court has reduced the sentences of 10 Iranian Jews convicted of spying for Israel, a senior judiciary official said Thursday.

The court annulled two of the three convictions on which the 10 were found guilty and reduced the prison term from ranges of four to 13 years to terms of two to nine years, said Hossein Ali Amiri, judiciary chief of southern Fars province where the 10 Jews were tried.

The court upheld the convictions against the 10 Iranian Jews of cooperating with Israel but annulled the guilty verdicts of establishing an illegal ring and recruiting agents.

''These sentences are the least possible sentences and we have used the ultimate of Islamic kindness and generosity. According to the law, these charges could have brought execution,'' Amiri said.

He said the court's decision was final and cannot be appealed and that the time already served would be included in the sentences. Dani Tefilin, a shoe salesman, and Asher Zadmehr, a university professor, who both received the highest prison term of 13 years, had their sentences reduced to 9 and 7 years respectively, Amiri said.

The case attracted international attention, with countries such as the United States and France urging Iran to ensure the trial was fair. Jurists have questioned whether the trial could be fair when there was no jury and the judge also acted as prosecutor.

The head of Iran's Jewish Society, Haroun Yashayaii, confirmed Wednesday that the men were no longer in solitary confinement and have been receiving food from their families.

---

Mysterious blast hits London spy center

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
World Scene Combined dispatches and staff reports
http://208.246.212.80/world/worldscene-2000921211748.htm

LONDON - A mysterious explosion near the central London headquarters of MI6, Britain's foreign intelligence agency, late yesterday sent investigators scurrying for answers.

Later last night police identified the cause of the blast as a "small missile, but gave no further details. There were no reports of any casualties.

Alan Fry, head of the police anti-terrorist branch, told reporters at the scene of the explosion early today that the missile had hit the eighth floor of the high-security building but had caused only minimal damage.

Mr. Fry was unable to say who had fired the missile, but added: "Clearly I have to keep in mind the capability of dissident Irish groups, but at this stage I would not be ruling out any other group who might see the secret intelligence service as a potential target."

Mysterious blast hits London spy center

LONDON - Emergency services were called to an explosion last night near the central London headquarters of MI6, Britain's foreign-intelligence agency, police said.

A spokesman for the London ambulance service said no casualties were reported, but emergency services had sealed off the area around the site of the explosion.

Sky News television reported that army bomb-disposal officers were at the scene checking for any unexploded devices.

--------

How the New York Times helped railroad Wen Ho Lee

By Eric Boehlert,
Salon Magazine,
September 21, 2000
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2000/09/21/nyt/print.html

Its reporters relied on slim evidence, quick conclusions and loyalty to sources with an ax to grind. Too bad the paper of record learned nothing from its role in Whitewater.

Don and Jean Marshall sat down to dinner with their son the night of March 8, 1999, when the phone rang. Their caller I.D. indicated the person on the other end was from the New York Times. "We just laughed and thought they were trying to sell us a subscription," recalls Don Marshall, who works at the nuclear science laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M. "If it was a reporter they'd want to talk to a lab manager, not a lowly staff worker like me. I didn't even pick up the phone."

After dinner Don and his wife, who also works at Los Alamos, headed back to work. As they turned their car around and were about to head up the hill past the house of their good friend and neighbor of 20 years, Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee, they noticed, as if out of a movie, a man suddenly appear from the shadows. It was James Risen, the reporter from the New York Times. He wanted to know if they'd heard that Lee had been accused of spying for the Chinese. They talked for a while on the front lawn. "It's one of those images that's burned in my memory," says Jean.

Stunned, the Marshalls drove to the lab, where they surfed the Web in search of news articles and found the New York Times' March 6, Page 1 piece. It was coauthored by Jeff Gerth and Risen, and it had exploded like a grenade inside Washington: "Breach at Los Alamos: A Special Report: China Stole Nuclear Secrets For Bombs, U.S. Aides Say." Although it did not name Lee (that came two days later), the 4,000-word story made it clear he was the prime suspect in what the paper was calling a historic bout of Communist espionage, and one that the Clinton administration had dragged its feet on uncovering.

Out in northern New Mexico the Marshalls were not aware that the Sunday political talk shows had been awash in talk of Chinese spies. Republican Sens. Trent Lott, John McCain and Richard Shelby were among those making the rounds, calling for investigations into an alleged White House spy coverup. On "Meet the Press," Shelby described the reported Los Alamos breach as "probably the worst leak we've had in many, many years."

The Marshalls also didn't know that on that Sunday, frantic FBI investigators, unhappy the story had been printed and feeling intense pressure from Washington headquarters, had interrogated Lee at the lab. In a grueling session conducted without an attorney present, the agents urged Lee to confess to passing classified military secrets to the Chinese during his trip to Beijing in 1988. But according to FBI transcripts, Lee, 59, in his halting English, insisted he was innocent. "I believe [God] will make the final judgment for my case. And I depend on him."

"You know what?" shot back the agent. "The Rosenbergs professed their innocence. They weren't concerned either. The Rosenbergs are dead. They electrocuted them," he said, referring to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of leaking Los Alamos secrets to the Soviet Union in the 1950s.

The agents used an important prop to dramatize to Lee his dire situation: a copy of the Times' March 6 article.

"This is a big problem," stressed the FBI investigator. "I think you need to read this article, because there's some things that have been raised by Washington that we have got to get resolved."

The agent continued, "You know, Wen Ho, this, it's bad. I mean look at this newspaper article! I mean, 'China Stole Secrets For Bombs.' It all but says your name in here. Pretty soon you're going to have reporters knocking on your door. They're going to be knocking on the door of your friends. They're going to find your son at [college]. And they are going to say, 'You know your father is a spy?'"

Later in the interrogation, a bewildered Lee responded, "That reporter or whoever [in] the media [can] say that. I'm innocent, but I don't know what can I do. I'm, I'm, I'm, I tell you how I feel, I feel, how you call that? Hopeless, OK."

When Don Marshall returned Monday night to his home in White Rock, N.M, he dialed the phone number that the Times reporter had left behind. "I spoke my conviction," says Marshall. "I told him they had the wrong man. He didn't want to believe it of course. He didn't comment, but he probably thought, 'Ah-ha, Wen Ho really pulled the wool over your eyes.'"

Eighteen months after the original blockbuster exposé ran, editors at the New York Times may be wishing somebody at the paper had listened to Marshall, and to others who raised red flags about the paper's early Wen Ho Lee coverage.

Because instead of accepting congratulations for breaking the biggest spy story in a decade, editors are battling what one Timesman calls "a brewing storm" inside the paper of record.

Wen Ho Lee was charged in December with 59 counts of mishandling nuclear secrets and denied bail. He spent most of this year in solitary confinement. When the most recent bail hearing began in August, the government's case crumbled. The most damaging revelation came from the FBI's lead agent, Robert Messemer, who was forced to recant crucial testimony he'd given in December, when he charged that Lee had lied to investigators and colleagues.

By early this month, government prosecutors, who once claimed Lee had downloaded the "crown jewels" of the nuclear defense system, agreed to free Lee if he pleaded guilty to one count of improperly downloading classified material.

On Sept. 13, after the U.S. District Court judge lit into top government officials who had "embarrassed our entire nation" in their handling of the case, Lee was free.

The stunning public turnaround suddenly drew attention to the fact that the entire premise of the New York Times' early news reports and strident editorials -- proclaiming that a Chinese-American scientist inside Los Alamos had given away nuclear secrets that had dramatically helped China improve its arsenal, and that the Clinton administration could have stopped it but chose not to -- had turned out to be flat wrong.

To date, the paper has been strangely silent about its pivotal role in the Lee saga. Attempts to get comments from executive editor Joseph Lelyveld, managing editor Bill Keller, editorial page editor Howell Raines, Washington bureau chief Michael Oreskes and reporter Jeff Gerth, among others, were unsuccessful.

A newspaper spokesperson hinted to Salon that the paper may yet address the controversy: "Our next assessment or explanation of the Wen Ho Lee case will be addressed to our readers, not other publications."

Times watchers predict that an extended editor's note addressing the paper's coverage will run in the "Week in Review" section Sunday, and that it will argue the Times was merely being aggressive in following a criminal investigation.

Many outside the paper, however, are not waiting for its official explanation.

"They rushed into this," suggests Steve Schwartz, publisher of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. "This story was given to them and nobody else and they decided to run it without thinking through what they were doing. They created the illusion of something that just wasn't there and ignored the other evidence that painted a different picture."

"It starts out with allegations, none of which turn out to be true," notes Walter Pincus, who has covered the Lee story for the Washington Post.

"Obviously they should be embarrassed," says Robert Vrooman, retired Los Alamos counterintelligence chief. "Gerth and Risen were in over their heads and they got snookered."

"It looks like a terrible injustice was done to a guy and his name first surfaced in the New York Times," notes Don Hewitt, executive producer of CBS's "60 Minutes," which aired an interview with Lee last year. "I'll leave it to the New York Times as to what they should do about it."

Off the record, journalists at other major media outlets are teeing off on the Times, labeling its performance "utterly reckless," suggesting the paper "fell for sources that any other reporter would have said are not playing with a full deck."

The unusually loud drumbeat of fault finding is so steady even the White House feels comfortable publicly chastising the Times. Administration spokesman Jake Siewert told Salon, "The paper singled out Wen Ho Lee as the primary suspect and now it seems to have developed collective amnesia about its earlier reporting and editorializing."

While the paper's performance raises troubling questions (to borrow a favorite Times phrase when it questions the motivations and actions of others), some see an even more perplexing trend in the work of Gerth, the influential reporter who drove the original Wen Ho Lee coverage. Gerth also broke the Loral satellite transfer story two years ago (which in retrospect seems badly inflated), as well as the Whitewater allegations in 1992. That was back before Whitewater blossomed into a megastory, but instead centered around allegations of shady Clinton investments and the couple's alleged attempts to stymie federal regulators.

But on Wednesday, independent counsel Robert Ray decided to finally shut down the six-year Whitewater investigation without bringing any charges against the Clintons. And when his predecessor, Kenneth Starr, filed his final report on the Clinton probe, he included nothing on Whitewater. Thus, those early allegations in Gerth's stories turned out to be specious and unfounded, accusations that the government spent $52 million -- and the press untold hours -- chasing. ("Don't even mention Whitewater," sighs Pincus at the Post.)

For those who connect the dots between the three major Gerth stories, there's an unmistakable sense of déjā vu. Each contains ominous conclusions drawn from questionable evidence, lots of loaded language, loyalty to flawed sources with axes to grind, cheerleading from the editorial page and, most importantly, central accusations that simply never pan out. To some, the Wen Ho Lee saga reads an awful lot like Whitewater.

"If you look at Whitewater and Wen Ho Lee there is a very disturbing pattern of not checking sources in terms of credibility and alleging wrongdoing when none exists," says Dave Leavy, who served as spokesman for the National Security Council from 1998 until earlier this year, and who responded on behalf of the government to press inquiries into Lee's case. "Lives and reputations are destroyed."

"It's clear the Times didn't learn a single thing from Whitewater," adds Gene Lyons, an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist and longtime critic of Gerth's Whitewater reporting. In his 1996 book, "Fools For Scandal: How the Media Invented Whitewater," Lyons detailed how much of Gerth's reporting was "provably false."

For example: In 1992, Gerth wrote about Beverly Bassett Schaffer, an Arkansas bank regulator appointed by then-Gov. Clinton and portrayed in the Times as a political crony who went easy on the Clinton-affiliated Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan. In his very first Whitewater article, Gerth told readers Schaffer "did not remember the federal examination of Madison." In truth, after reviewing her Madison file, Schaffer had faxed Gerth 20 pages of notes before he wrote his damning story. "There ought to be consequences when reporters screw up this badly," says Lyons.

So the question remains: Could the Wen Ho Lee fiasco have been averted if editors at the Times had cast a critical eye on its Whitewater coverage years ago instead of encouraging Gerth's often questionable brand of reporting?

"What happens the next time Gerth shows up with a long, impenetrable story that doesn't add up?" asks New York Daily News columnist Lars-Erik Nelson, who for the past year has been critical of the Times' China spy coverage.

Though Times editors were not available to answer that question, a Nexis database search shows that Gerth has had exactly five bylines in 2000. Earlier, Gerth had been writing approximately 40 stories each year. "He's been conspicuously silent," notes Steve Aftergood, senior analyst for the Federation of American Scientists. According to a Times spokesperson, Gerth has not taken a leave from the paper this year.

A Timesman for 23 years and one who has studiously avoided the TV talk show circuit, Gerth has been heralded as the paper's top investigative reporter. That image was reinforced when he won his first Pulitzer Prize last year for leading the paper's reporting on the alleged transfer of satellite technology to China by U.S. defense contractors Loral Space & Communications and Hughes Electronics Corp.

The guts of the story were that after a Chinese rocket carrying a Loral satellite exploded and crashed on Feb. 14, 1996, Loral engineers delivered a report on the mishap but may have given the Chinese too much sensitive information in the process. Those charges are still to be considered by a Washington grand jury.

But Gerth went further. His stories also implied that a crucial White House waiver needed by Loral to launch satellites in China may have been granted simply because Loral chairman Bernard Schwartz was a longtime contributor to the Democratic Party. Once granted that waiver, Gerth asserted, Loral leaked military secrets to the People's Republic of China.

Thanks to Gerth's stories, along with the paper's urgent unsigned editorials ("There is too much evidence of wrongdoing to be suppressed or ignored," read one) and repeated, over-the-top doomsday columns by longtime Gerth supporter William Safire (who accused Loral of "the sellout of American security"), the Department of Justice launched an investigation of Schwartz and his company, partly to quell the cries of Republican protests.

On May 23, the Los Angeles Times reported that just months after looking into the matter in 1998, Justice Department investigators became convinced the Loral chairman had done nothing wrong. A task force led by Charles Labella had been unable to turn up "a scintilla of evidence -- or information -- that the president was corruptly influenced by Bernard Schwartz." One federal investigator told the paper, "Poor Bernie Schwartz got a bad deal. There never was a whiff of a scent of a case against him."

Seventeen days later, on Page 24, the New York Times reported that Schwartz had been cleared. Gerth did not write that story.

So of the three-legged Chinese espionage story Gerth built over the past two years -- transferred satellite technology, Democratic contributor Bernie Schwartz and Wen Ho Lee -- two of the legs have been kicked out from underneath him and the paper.

"If you go back three or four years ago to the San Jose Mercury News series [on the CIA and cocaine dealing], I wrote about what an overblown bullshit story it was," says Pincus at the Washington Post. The Mercury News was widely discredited as a result of that series. "I think the series on communication satellites was of the same nature."

Nonetheless, Gerth won a Pulitzer last year for his stories on Loral. Yet there is a widespread feeling in Washington journalism circles that even though he officially won the prize for his satellite technology reporting, it was his initial March 6 story on Los Alamos, and the buzz it instantly created, that landed him the award. (There's also speculation that Safire lobbied the Pulitzer committee on Gerth's behalf, waving around the reporter's Wen Ho Lee story. Safire could not be reached for comment.)

The Pulitzer committee itself seemed slightly unsure of why it was honoring Gerth. In its official release, the organization singled out Gerth "for a series of articles that disclosed the corporate sales of American technology to China, with U.S. government approval despite national security risks." (The Times used that language verbatim in its own news account of the award.) Actually Gerth and the Times accused Loral, after landing its waiver, of giving technology to China free of charge and without U.S. government approval.

The Loral stories resulted in something besides a Pulitzer: the creation of the Cox Committee, named after Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif. Cox was chosen by then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to investigate Chinese espionage in hopes of embarrassing the Clinton administration.

Since its release one year ago, the 900-page Cox Report has been widely ridiculed for being long on conspiracy theory and short on facts. An independent analysis done by a research team at Stanford University's Center for International Security concluded, "There is no credible evidence presented or instances described of actual theft of U.S. missile technology." The Times has never reported on Stanford's findings.

It was all very reminiscent of Whitewater, where an independent counsel was named to investigate the Clintons based almost entirely on the reporting of Gerth and the New York Times. And as with independent counsel Kenneth Starr and the Whitewater investigation, Gerth enjoyed friendly Republican sources inside the Cox probe.

It's likely these sources tipped Gerth off to Notra Trulock, the renegade Department of Energy investigator who had been waging something of a one-man war against Lee and his supposed spy ring. In 1996, Trulock resurrected concern over China's alleged 1988 theft of an advanced warhead design named the W-88, which was developed at Los Alamos. Trulock singled out Lee for suspicion, since he was the only Los Alamos scientist who traveled to China in the '80s.

With his warnings dismissed by the CIA, which reasoned China obtained the W-88 data elsewhere, Trulock was welcomed with open arms by the Cox Committee staffers. And by the New York Times.

"There was a lot of gasoline on the floor and they lit a match," says Vrooman, referring to certain Republicans, Trulock and the New York Times during the political upheaval of early 1999. "The GOP lost [Monica] Lewinsky as an issue and impeachment. Now they were looking at the Chinese fundraising scandal and here comes Notra with this great story."

One former Washington bureau chief at a major daily newspaper recalls the sense of hysteria the March 6, 1999, Times story, along with Republican cries, created in the capital. "I got to Washington in the aftermath of the McCarthy era and I haven't seen anything that matches what's gone on during the last year with China."

While Gerth and his partner, Risen, never identified Trulock as their source for their story, close readers of their articles could, if they assumed the Times reporters were following an old journalism rule of thumb: Always make your sources look good. Here's what Gerth and Risen wrote March 6: "In personal terms, the handling of this case is very much the story of the Energy Department intelligence official who first raised questions about the Los Alamos case, Notra Trulock."

Illustrating the influence of the Times, "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert quickly did his best to turn Trulock into a hero, too, inviting him to appear on his May 23, 1999, show. There, Russert gave Trulock an open forum to spin his conspiracy theories about widespread Chinese espionage at the labs and the Clinton coverup. "I think the potential is on a magnitude equal to the Rosenbergs-Fuchs compromise of the Manhattan Project information," Trulock told Russert.

At the end of the interview Russert turned to his other guest, Cox, and wondered gravely, "Would the country have ever heard of the magnitude of this issue without the work and efforts of Notra Trulock?"

But critics suggest Trulock is prisoner of his own agenda. "He takes a grain of truth and distorts the hell out of it," says Vrooman, who worked with Trulock at Los Alamos for many years.

At Lee's recent bail hearing, attorneys introduced an affidavit from Charles E. Washington, who worked for Trulock as acting director of counterintelligence and is now a senior policy analyst at the Energy Department. Washington, who is black and who told the Los Angeles Times he was once spat on by Trulock, testified that Trulock "acts vindictively and opportunistically, that he improperly uses security issues to punish and discredit others and that he has racist views toward minority groups."

Fed up with Trulock's increasingly outlandish accusations, Warren Rudman, the former Republican senator and chairman of the president's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, struck back. In a scathing letter to Trulock last year, Rudman wrote that he had "misread professional disagreements as personal affronts," and had twisted an obligation to be straightforward into "a license for calumny." This summer the FBI began investigating whether Trulock had disclosed classified information about the government's spy case when he tried to sell a magazine article.

In other words, Trulock, a contributor to the rabidly anti-Clinton chat site Free Republic, was hardly the most reliable source of information. Then again, neither were the Clintons' former business partner and congenital liar Jim McDougal or convicted felon and Arkansas con man David Hale. But Gerth and the Times relied on them both during their lengthy and influential Whitewater investigation. (Once Gerth even called an FBI agent on behalf of Hale, to let the him know Hale felt he was being silenced by Clinton-friendly prosecutors in Little Rock.)

Despite the now-obvious flaws in the Times' March 6 story on Los Alamos, at the time it made believers out of most readers. "I assumed maybe I had been overly critical of the Times," recalls Steven Aftergood, a senior analyst at the Federation of American Scientists. "Because now they had nailed the story down and here's the guy I figured they found transferring codes to China."

As he began to read the paper's steady stream of follow-up reports though, Aftergood's fear of widespread Chinese espionage quickly faded. "The coverage was so breathless in its speculation that China was now a nuclear power thanks to U.S. espionage. That was objectively false."

The Times told its readers as much on Sept. 7, 1999, in the form of a 5,000-word, Page 1 piece by science writer William Broad. The story seriously questioned, in a gentlemanly way, much of Gerth's and Risen's reporting. "It was what we call 'The Retraction,'" says Henry Tang of the Committee of 100, a Chinese-American group that believes Lee was singled out because of his ethnicity.

Ever since the Broad article appeared one year ago, the Times has covered the Lee story with an even hand. Risen and Gerth no longer write about the case. "I give the Times a lot of credit" for its subsequent Lee coverage, says former National Security Council spokesman Leavy. "They let another reporter with fresh eyes really challenge the conclusions of Gerth and Risen."

With Broad's story, observers might have concluded the Times was backing away from Gerth's and Risen's earlier reports. But instead of acknowledging its errors, the Times seemed to go into a bunker. In its November 1999 issue, Brill's Content ran a critical piece examining the newspaper's initial reporting on Lee. Times investigative editor Stephen Engelberg (who teamed up with Gerth to write Whitewater stories in the early '90s) promptly responded with a 2,500-word letter to the editor, adamantly denying Broad's piece was in any way a retraction. By protesting so loudly, the Times was once again seen as defending its original, and now widely ridiculed, Wen Ho Lee stories.

But finally the Lee case, already seen by many observers as weak, collapsed in spectacular fashion inside an Albuquerque, N.M., courtroom this month, leading to the obvious question: How did this all happen?

So far, the Times has refused to openly concede its role in the saga. That has made for some peculiar reading, as when concerned, unsigned editorials began calling this month for an independent body to determine whether Wen Ho Lee was fingered by investigators simply because he was Chinese-American. Compare that to the spring of 1999, when the Times editorial page had no such reservations as it lustily cheered the paper's investigative reporting. "The United States might as well have dumped its most sensitive defense secrets on Pennsylvania Avenue for Chinese spies to pick up," fulminated a May 16 editorial.

The Times' selective memory was on further display in Gail Collins' Aug. 29 column belittling the Lee prosecution, suggesting the case was "brought to you courtesy of the FBI and the Department of Energy." Collins delicately overlooked the Times' own glaring role in the rush to judge Wen Ho Lee. Reached at the paper, Collins declined to comment. Times columnist Anthony Lewis, who has also written critically of the Lee prosecution without mentioning the paper, also declined to comment, other than to agree that the Times' involvement in the Lee case "is a very good subject for exploration."

So far the Times disagrees. Despite the uproar over the unjust treatment of Lee, the Times has not published a single editorial, op-ed column or letter to the editor about the paper's Lee coverage.

"There's nothing wrong with making an error, we all make mistakes," says Aftergood. "What's scary is the paper's unwillingness to admit fault. I think the Times is doing a real disservice to its own interest. But it seems they've dug in so deep they can't get out."

At the height of the Lee story last year, Vrooman recalls receiving a request from the Times, asking for a photograph of himself. "I asked them what for and they said, 'You're a part of the story.' I said, 'Well, so are you.'" He half-jokingly suggested the paper run photographs of Gerth in its news reports about Lee.

Says Vrooman, "Nobody is going to write a history of this case without mentioning the New York Times."

--

Secret costs Scientists say the security crackdown at nuclear weapons labs is the real national security risk. By Fiona Morgan 07/21/00
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2000/07/21/security/index.html

How the right smeared Clinton and Gore on China Racism helped the president's enemies link fundraising scandals to accusations of espionage, with almost no evidence. By Joe Conason 06/07/00
http://www.salon.com/news/col/cona/2000/06/07/china/index.html

The real China scandal Was whistle-blower Notra Trulock a right-wing ideologue or a bureaucrat caught in the cross-fire between Clinton and Clinton haters? By Joshua Micah Marshall 09/12/99
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/09/13/trulock/index.html

Why the Cox Report went nowhere Democrats and Republicans basically agree on selling out to business and China, via "commercial diplomacy." By Christopher Hitchens 06/27/99
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/06/28/china/index.html

-------- terrorism

'We Will Free Our Brothers'

ABC News
09/23/00
By John K. Cooley
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/binladen000922.html

In Video Recording, Osama bin Laden Vows to Liberate Islamic Prisoners in United States Saudi-born suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden in an undated video aired on Qatar's private satellite television channel, Al Jazeera. (Credit: Al-Jazeera)

Sept. 23 - Accused terrorist Osama bin Laden has reappeared on the world stage vowing to free the blind Egyptian cleric imprisoned in the United States for the 1993 bombing of New York City's World Trade Center.

"We swear we will work with all-out power to free our brother, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and all our prisoners in America, Egypt and Riyadh [Saudi Arabia]," an emaciated-looking bin Laden said in a video recording of a meeting with several senior aides.

Qatar's private satellite television channel, Al-Jazeera, broadcast the video without giving a date or a place for the meeting in which new anti-U.S. violence was threatened.

Aides Present at Meeting

One of those flanking bin Laden was Ayman al-Zawahiri, a former psychiatrist considered to be his chief aide, and Rifai Ahmad Taha, a leader of the armed Egyptian group, Jamaa Islamiya.

Both men have been condemned to death in absentia in Egypt.

Also shown at the meeting was Assad Allah, son of Sheikh Abdel Rahman, who was convicted in New York of ordering or approving the February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center that killed six and wounded 1,000 others.

The FBI has offered a $5 million reward for the Saudi-born bin Laden, who took refuge in Afghanistan in 1996, for the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998.

It is not clear how significant the video taped statement is for U.S. security and intelligence agencies. Bill Carter, spokesman for the FBI, said that while he was aware of the tape, he had not watched it, but any information on bin Laden would be taken seriously. "Obviously, Osama bin Laden is a fugitive and on the FBI's most wanted list. We certainly want to locate him and take him into custody, but I have not seen the tape, so I can't comment on it."

Recorded 'Sometime Since April'

Also in the broadcast, bin Laden said one of his followers, whom he did not name, was captured "during an operation" in Saudi Arabia while "trying to fight injustice, atheism and shame."

"Enough of words, it is time to take action against this iniquitous and faithless force [the United States] which has sent its troops all over Egypt, Yemen and Saudi Arabia," said Al-Zawahiri. Applause could be heard off camera.

Sheikh Omar's son, Assad Allah, urged Muslims to "move forward and shed blood."

Al-Jazeera officials said they believed the video had been recorded "sometime since April" and that it was obtained from Al-Jihad (Holy War) Television, close to Afghanistan's Taliban and to Al-Qaida, or The Base, bin Laden's international cover organization.

There was no immediate explanation for the broadcast's timing.

Abu Sayyaf Connection

Freedom for Sheikh Omar and Ramzi Ahmed Yusuf, another prisoner extradited by the United States from Pakistan and also convicted for the World Trade Center bombings as well as other attacks, was an early demand of the Abu Sayyaf, a militant organization originally based in Afghanistan and now under attack by the Philippines military.

Senior Filipino officials have in the past said they have evidence of links between the Abu Sayyaf and bin Laden, but they have not revealed any details.

After a number of European and Asian hostages were apparently ransomed and freed by payments of millions of dollars from Libya's leader Col. Moammar Gadhafi, Abu Sayyaf captured an American hostage, Jeffrey Schilling , 24, of California.

Members of Philippines president Joseph Estrada's government and security forces have accused Schilling, a converted Muslim, of supporting his captors after he broadcast radio appeals for the military action against Abu Sayyaf to stop. (See related story)

He was last reported to be fleeing with his captors.

ABCNEWS.com's Leela Jacinto contributed to this report.

---

America Is a Main Target for International Terrorism

NewsMax.com
Thursday, Sept. 21, 2000
Col. Stanislav Lunev
http://www.newsmax.com/articles/?a=2000/9/21/154457

On July 25, the House approved a bill to streamline a domestic terrorism defense system that lawmakers say badly lacks direction. The bill, the Preparedness Against Terrorism Act, would establish a six-member panel to coordinate all training efforts nationwide and the council would be headed by the president.

Funding for anti-terrorist programs would increase from $6.5 billion in 1998 to a requested $11.1 billion in 2001.

In a statement, the White House reiterated its opposition to the bill, saying: "The Administration does not believe that requiring the establishment of (a panel headed by the president) is either necessary or appropriate."

It is very difficult to agree with the White House point of view in connection with the problem, because the danger from terrorism to this country already exists and the current U.S. administration has a very poor record of protecting Americans from terrorist attacks.

It was the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995, a blast at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and other examples that prompted the creation of numerous training programs and response teams.

Moreover, Americans are in danger of terrorism not only at home but also worldwide. Everybody remembers the tragedies of the almost simultaneous bombings of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in October 1998. Widely believed to be the handiwork of al-Qaida, Saudi exile Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization, these attacks killed 220 and wounded more than 4,000 people.

The above-named bombings are connected with so-called "ordinary" terrorist activity and use of conventional explosives and devices. But now international terrorists are seeking weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical, biological, and others. Their groups and networks are very well organized and high-tech, and they practically ignore law enforcement agencies and thrive on public corruption.

These terrorist organizations are using numerous resources of their sponsors, first of all from such "rogue states" as Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, and North Korea. These country's regimes are very anti-American and try to use terrorist groups against their "main enemy" - the U.S. Among the most dangerous are such terrorist networks as the organization of wealthy Osama bin Laden.

An interesting point: bin Laden's al-Qaida, and other powerful terrorist groups originated in the war in Afghanistan, when they had support of the U.S. special forces. When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, America, along with other anti-Communist countries, strongly backed the Afghan mujahideen in their war against the Russian troops.

But when that war effectively ended in humiliating defeat for the former Soviet Union about ten years later, Washingtonian politicians simply walked away from the Afghan mujahideen and left them alone to stew in the aftermath of non-stop military conflict.

It is no surprise that those desperate Afghan fighters have formed their own alliances and organizations, which have today become the world center for international terrorism. From Afghanistan terrorism is now being exported around the globe, from Central, South and Southeast Asia to the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and finally to North America.

Bin Laden is a very good example for American politicians, who must take care to see that U.S. foreign policy does not serve to prepare the ground for creating more future terrorism. Originated in Afghanistan, new terrorist organizations are very different from their predecessors, who were recruited, trained and funded by the former Soviet KGB and GRU (Russian strategic military intelligence), and are much more dangerous.

The new terrorists are not motivated by ideology but by religion, and they represent a new breed of theologically driven fanatics who will not hesitate to use weapons of mass destruction. It makes it very difficult for intelligence services and law enforcement agencies to penetrate them and prevent acts of terrorism.

As we know, the threat posed by nuclear weapons, materials and technology getting into the hands of nuclear terrorists remains real.

There are numerous officially documented attempts to steal or sell weapons-grade nuclear material originating from storage facilities in the former Soviet republics, such as Russia, Ukraine and Central Asia, where Soviet nuclear facilities were located.

The last of these attempts took place last March, when border guards in Uzbekistan (one of the former Soviet Central Asia republics) seized an Iranian truck with a cargo of radioactive material in lead containers bound for a destination in southern Pakistan.

Reportedly, this material, intended for a radiological device, was headed for the Afghanistan camps of bin Laden's organization.

In one more episode most recently made public, Russia's security forces in December 1998 arrested a group of conspirators trying to steal 40 pounds of weapons-grade material from one of the country's largest nuclear weapons facilities.

Although a joint U.S.-Russian program to secure the weapons-grade material stocks has been in place for six years, the bulk of the work is still to be done, including a basic accounting of how much material must be protected and how many labs have been made secure.

With Russia set to decommission more nuclear warheads in the coming years, there is a danger that unaccounted nuclear material stocks could be acquired by international terrorists or by any of the "rogue states."

The nature of terrorism, inspired by different ideological and religious motivations, makes mass destruction an important part of their agenda. The possibility that well-funded and well-organized terrorist groups finally will steal or smuggle a nuclear weapon or acquire the plutonium or highly enriched uranium for making one cannot be dismissed. Nor can opportunities for purchasing nuclear waste to spread by a radiological device be ignored.

According to Israeli intelligence sources, some time ago Osama bin Laden obtained a few tactical nuclear devices from unidentified former Soviet republics, and there is no doubt that he would use these weapons for terrorist acts if he had the necessary technical and technological capabilities.

In addition to the attempts to buy weapons of mass destruction, terrorists are very actively looking for people who could create these weapons. Terrorist groups could offer an attractive lure to former Soviet and other nations' weapons specialists and scientists who are underpaid and are looking for new opportunities.

As we know, after the USSR disintegration in 1991 hundreds and thousands of former Soviet specialists were relocated legally and illegally to the Middle East, China, North Korea, and other countries where they are working in great secrecy on new types of weapons. As a result, the recent breakthrough by some countries in creating missile and nuclear weapons comes as no surprise.

American vulnerabilities to terrorist attacks are well known to the specialists but not to the public. These vulnerabilities were very clearly illustrated last December when one of bin Laden's followers, Ahmed Ressam, was arrested crossing the Canadian border into the state of Washington with a carload of high-efficiency conventional explosives.

There is no doubt that a crude nuclear, biological, or chemical device could be delivered in exactly the same way anywhere in the United States and could bring death to many thousands of Americans.

As UPI reported, the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service recently prepared a special report which warned that Sunni Islamic extremists appear to have escalated their efforts to make coordinated attacks on targets inside Canada and the U.S. The recent arrest of several terrorism suspects, including Montreal resident Ahmed Ressam, are indications that "Sunni extremists have intensified their activities in North America," the report said.

In this situation American politicians need to take real care in seeking to protect the U.S. population from possible and real terrorist attacks, including the potential threat of weapons of mass destruction. But, unfortunately, everything appears as if the politicians in Washington, D.C., are very busy playing their political games and do not have the time nor the inclination to resolve this very important problem. Instead, they are leaving the American people without protection from well-organized terrorist activity that sooner or later is bound to be aimed at them.

---

Spain's Battle Against Terrorism

New York Times
September 21, 2000
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/opinion/21THU3.html

In a series of raids conducted in both Spain and France in the past week, authorities arrested more than 36 alleged separatist Basque E.T.A. terrorists, including the man presumed to be their top leader. This is a victory not only for Prime Minister José María Aznar of Spain, but for the Basque people themselves. They have had to bear the burden of the E.T.A.'s senseless terror.

The group was founded during the four-decade rule of Francisco Franco, when the Spanish state brutally repressed all manifestations of Basque culture. But Spain is now a vibrant democracy, affording the Basques a great deal of autonomy. This leaves little room for a liberation movement espousing violence, and the E.T.A. has reacted to its political isolation with increased desperation.

The E.T.A.'s terror campaign provides the one asterisk to Spain's recent success story. The nation has become a constructive force in NATO and the European Union, and its economy has created more jobs than the rest of the European Union nations combined in the past three years. But with the cease-fire in Northern Ireland, the E.T.A. is Western Europe's most active armed separatist group.

Late in 1998, frustrated by Basques' contentment with their place in Spain, the E.T.A. declared a unilateral cease-fire. Mr. Aznar, himself a survivor of an E.T.A. assassination attempt, would not negotiate with the group without its formal surrender.

Early this year the E.T.A. resumed its campaign of terror. It is charged with killing 12 people so far this year, mostly politicians. Mr. Aznar insists that the struggle against the E.T.A. not subvert the rule of law. The previous Socialist government was voted out of office partly because of revelations that it had waged a "dirty war" against the E.T.A. Spain must brace itself for the possibility of further E.T.A. attacks. In doing so, Mr. Aznar should maintain his sense of equanimity and respect for the rule of law.

---

Terror Suspect Had Been an Informer

New York Times
September 21, 2000
By BENJAMIN WEISER
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/nyregion/21TERR.html

For about eight months, Abdel Ghani Meskini has sat in a Manhattan jail, accused of having a role in a terrorist plot to smuggle explosives into the United States before the millennium celebrations.

While his lawyer disputes that he had any role in a terrorist plot, Mr. Meskini did make known yesterday one surprising fact about his résumé: he was once a confidential informer for the United States government.

Mr. Meskini, a native of Algeria, testified in Federal District Court in Manhattan yesterday that he had cooperated with the United States Customs Service because he felt he had no choice: he was living in the United States illegally and was told he would otherwise be deported.

Mr. Meskini said he had assisted the Customs Service for about two months in 1995, and at one point made a secret tape recording of others at the behest of a customs agent. The investigation involved allegations that hashish was being smuggled into the United States on Algerian tankers, federal officials said.

A Customs Service spokesman, Dennis Murphy, said yesterday: "We can confirm that Abdel Ghani Meskini received a total of $100 compensation from the U.S. Customs Service in 1995 and 1996 for information he provided regarding illegal drug activities."

Mr. Murphy would not comment on Mr. Meskini's assertion that the customs agent had essentially struck a deal with him not to pursue deportation in return for his assistance. One government official said the information and assistance from Mr. Meskini, who lived in Boston at the time, led nowhere: no arrests or seizures of drugs were made.

Mr. Meskini's confidential role with the Customs Service was revealed during cross-examination of Mr. Meskini by a federal prosecutor, David N. Kelley. The testimony was given in a hearing originally sought by Mr. Meskini and his lawyer to block prosecutors from using a lengthy statement Mr. Meskini gave to the Federal Bureau of Investigation after his arrest last Dec. 30 at his Brooklyn apartment.

Mr. Meskini, 32, has been indicted on charges he assisted in a suspected terrorist plot that was interrupted last Dec. 14 when another Algerian, Ahmed Ressam, was arrested as he tried to enter Washington State from Canada. The authorities say Mr. Ressam was trying to smuggle explosives and other bomb-making equipment into the United States.

A slip of paper found on Mr. Ressam during his arrest contained Mr. Meskini's name and phone number, the authorities have said, leading them to begin surveillance of him and ultimately to arrest him. The intended target of the suspected plot has not been revealed, nor its origins.

Mr. Meskini and his lawyer, Roland Thau, have said in court papers that Mr. Meskini was not properly informed of his rights against self- incrimination and to counsel during the interrogation. They contend Mr. Meskini spoke to the agents, in a session that lasted about 11 hours, only after they used threats and other forms of psychological pressure on him.

In court yesterday, Mr. Meskini said it was widely known that in Algeria, police beatings of suspects was common. Judge John F. Keenan interrupted and asked Mr. Meskini whether any of the agents who interrogated him in New York had threatened to beat him.

"No," Mr. Meskini said.

Indeed, Mr. Meskini's testimony offered little evidence of coercion. One agent told him that he should cooperate or he could face a lengthy prison term. But the agents did not raise their voices at him, he said, and asked whether he needed to use the bathroom or wanted to take a break to pray.

Prosecutors say Mr. Meskini was advised of his rights several times, and made a fully voluntary statement. In his testimony yesterday, Mr. Meskini acknowledged that he had read, understood and signed the form waiving his right to counsel.

Mr. Meskini said he had told the agents that he was involved in credit card fraud, but had denied any role as a terrorist. "I said, `I have nothing to do with terrorism. The only thing I do is I'm a thief. I do credit card scams. That's all,' " he testified.

Mr. Meskini acknowledged that while being interrogated, he made telephone calls at the request of the F.B.I. (which the agency recorded with his consent), to Mokhtar Haouari, who has since been arrested and also charged in the suspected plot.

The prosecutor, Mr. Kelley, appeared to want to elicit Mr. Meskini's testimony about his cooperation with customs agents to show that he was already familiar with law enforcement and its techniques, and that his taped calls for the F.B.I. last December were not much different from the secret tape recording he made for the customs agent in 1995.

Mr. Thau said after the hearing that the government's decision to elicit Mr. Meskini's testimony about his work for the Customs Service was not relevant to the case against his client, nor was it damaging. Mr. Thau said it showed that "law enforcement people sometimes close their eyes to their sworn duty to, in this case, get an illegal alien deported."

The prosecutor, Mr. Kelley, had no comment. The customs agent, who was identified as Robert O'Connell, has since died, Customs Service officials said. Judge Keenan said he would issue a ruling by Oct. 27 on whether to suppress Mr. Meskini's statement.

-------- activists

Demonstration for Vieques, Puerto Rico

info@viequesfast.org
For Immediate Release: Contact: Michael Brown
Thursday, September 21, 2000 202-232-1999
info@viequesfast.org
www.viequesfast.org

Lafayette Park, in front of White House, 12 Noon, Friday, September 22
Day 60 of Fast for Peace in Vieques - Day 40 on Water-only
Long-term Faster Will Risk Arrest in Civil Disobedience

Hundreds of individuals and organizations taking part in the struggle for peace in Vieques from dozens of cities in the U.S. and from Vieques and other municipalities in Puerto Rico, will gather in Washington, DC for the National Day of Solidarity with the People of Vieques, Puerto Rico - September 22, 2000. This mobilization builds on the struggle to get the U.S. Navy to immediately and permanently stop bombing and leave Vieques. Future protests will take place in Vieques on October 1, 2000 and in New York City on October 21, 2000.

The events will start at 12:00 noon at Lafayette Park, in front of the White House, and will include an ecumenical service, a picket and demonstration, speeches from several leaders from Vieques, Members of Congress, and other prominent figures. Plans include a powerful and peaceful act of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience for Justice and Peace in Vieques, directly in front of the residence of the U.S. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Members of the peace movement in Vieques seek 4 Ds: Demilitarization of their island, Decontamination of their environment, Devolution of their land and sustainable Development of their economy and society.

Andrés Thomas Conteris, 39, Washington, DC member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation Task Force on Latin America & the Caribbean and United Methodist lay missioner, spent five days and nights on the Vieques bombing range in early May 2000 after the FBI and U.S Marshals evicted over 200 protesters. He and others continued to serve as human shields, similar to the peace encampments of the previous year. Bombing resumed while protesters were still on the range. According to Thomas Conteris, "It is utterly unconscionable that the U.S. Navy would engage in bombing with full knowledge that civilians were present."

Thomas Conteris began fasting on liquids on July 25, 2000 and turned to a water-only, open-ended fast when the U.S. Navy renewed its bombing of the island. He has lost 55 pounds and will continue to fast until the President schedules the long-requested meeting. Many others are fasting in Vieques and in the U.S. on a rotating basis. Fasters urge President Clinton to meet personally with religious and community leaders of Vieques and Puerto Rico who seek a permanent end to the bombing of the island.

Many protesters plan to risk arrest in a nonviolent fashion during the activities of the National Day in Solidarity with the People of Vieques, Puerto Rico, including Thomas Conteris.

For more information: www.viequesfast.org info@viequesfast.org 202-232-1999

---

New York Times
September 21, 2000
World Briefing
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/21/world/21BRIE.html

EUROPE

LUXEMBOURG: FUEL CONFERENCE European Union transport ministers met for emergency talks to try to stop fuel price protests that have spread across the Continent in the past three weeks. The ministers were considering appealing to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to produce more oil. They were also considering making a call for a unified fuel tax. (AP)

---

Bolivian army poised to battle protesters

Washington Times
September 21, 2000
World Scene Combined dispatches and staff reports
http://208.246.212.80/world/worldscene-2000921211748.htm

LA PAZ, Bolivia - Army intervention to dismantle roadblocks appeared imminent late yesterday as Bolivians protested government policies for a third day, particularly a proposal to build military bases in the Chapare region.

More than 15,000 coca-leaf growers have joined in the protest that commenced Monday at Villa Tunari, some 370 miles east of La Paz and where two military units were on their way late yesterday.

The coca growers are determined to reverse the government's anti-drug policies, which include a partnership with the United States to eradicate all coca plantations in Chapare.

"Coca forever, Yankees never," the farmers chanted.

-------


NucNews - Please circulate -- help educate! - http://prop1.org

1. NucNews 00/09/21 - Daybook; Presidential Candidates; Activist Announcements
From: Thomas <prop1@prop1.org>

2. USA TODAY - Nuclear sites made public Firms did weapons work
From: df7332@aol.com

3. Seems like a Dragon Fart
From: ivan buchbinder <pentaske@memes.com>

4. UPDATE ON OCT 7 ACTIONS
From: "Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space" <globalnet@mindspring.com>

5. Please Sign TMI Petition On Presiedent Jimmy Carter Cover Up Of 3 Mile Island & All Nuclear Plants
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

6. But wage replacement is the basis of workers compensation!
From: easlavin@aol.com

7. DOE,enablers battle for control:some "legacy," as in mess for future generations
From: easlavin@aol.com

8. MEDIA IGNORES END OF COLD WAR IN ASIA-WHY PENTAGON HATES KOREAN PEACE
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

9. Check out Radiation Compensation Urged (washingtonpost.com)
From: easlavin@aol.com

10. DOE has gone from none sick to 50 to 120 to 4000 sick workers to be compensated?
From: easlavin@aol.com

11. Preventing Accidental Nuclear Winter-NMD If Built, Will Probably Bring Accidental Nuclear War
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

-----------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: Thomas <prop1@prop1.org>

NucNews 00/09/21 - Daybook; Presidential Candidates; Activist Announcements

Washington Times Daybook,
September 21, 2000,
Agence France Presse
http://www.washtimes.com/national/daybook-200092121136.htm

9 a.m. - House Armed Services' military procurement subcommittee holds a hearing on the Defense Department chemical agents and munitions destruction program. Location: 2118 Rayburn House Office Building. Contact: 202/225-4151.

1 p.m. - Energy hearing - The House Government Reform Committee holds a hearing to seek answers from top government officials and affected businesses about soaring energy prices. The witnesses include Energy Secretary Bill Richardson; Carol Browner, Environmental Protection Agency administrator; and James Hoecker, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman. Location: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building. Contact: 202/225-5074.

2:30 p.m. - Senate Armed Services's personnel subcommittee holds a hearing to receive testimony on the recruiting initiatives of the Defense Department and the military services and to receive an update on the status of recruiting and retention goals. Location: 222 Hart Senate Office Building. Contact: 202/224-3871.

8:45 a.m. - Military strategies conference - Georgetown University hosts a day long conference, "Alternative U.S. Military Strategies." Location: Intercultural Center Auditorium, Georgetown University, 37th and O streets NW. Contact: 202/687-4328.

9:30 a.m. - Debt relief news conference - Members of Congress hold a news conference on debt relief for Third World countries. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, White House chief economic adviser Gene Sperling and musician Bono of U2, participate. Location: Capitol, House Triangle. Contact: 202/225-5355 or 202/226-7270.

9:45 a.m. - Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act news conference - Sens. Richard G. Lugar, Indiana Republican, and Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat, host a news conference to urge passage of the proposed Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Act to encourage family farmers, small businesses and restaurant owners to donate food otherwise wasted to food banks for the poor. Location: Capitol, Room S-207. Contact: 202/224-2079 or 202/224-7435.

10:30 a.m. - Debt reduction news conference - Members of Congress hold a news conference to discuss recent House initiatives on reducing the debt and the repeal of the tax on telephones. Location: Capitol, House Triangle. Contact: 202/225-5107.

-- PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

- George W. Bush - Unknown

- Al Gore -

10:30 a.m. - Discusses energy independence, Burch Oil, 45370 Clarke's Landing Road, Hollywood, Md.

- Ralph Nader - Thursday, Sept 21 -

12:30 PM - Ann Arbor, MI - Rally with Ralph Nader and Michael Moore, Michigan Theatre, 603 East Liberty; For more information: Michigan Greens (248) 398-8104

5:00 PM - Flint, MI - Rally with Ralph Nader and Michael Moore, James H. Whiting Auditorium, Doors Open at 4:00 PM, 1241 East Kearsley St.

7:00 PM - East Lansing, MI - Rally with Ralph Nader and Michael Moore, Michigan State University Auditorium at Farmlane and Auditorium Road, For more information: (248) 398-8104

- You Met Nader--Meet Harry Browne-Libertarian 4 Prez - Thursday, September 21 Marriott Crystal Gateway*, 1700 Jefferson Davis Hwy. (Rt. 1), Arlington, VA (hotel fronts Eads St.) - 7:00-7:30 p.m.: Reception/Cash bar 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Harry Browne: "Libertarians Want You to Be Free." Which candidate will end US imperialism (bring home all the troops, end military aid to rich democracies and poor dictatorships alike*), totally gut big corporate welfare and privileges (including monopolistic privileges), give 100% tax credits for all money spent on or contributed to health benefits, social welfare/charity contributions, end the social security scam against the younger generation, abolish the IRS/FBI/ BATF/DEA/etc. and federal support for militarization of law enforcement, totally end the war on drugs, and lots of other good things? It's Harry Browne, the Libertarian Party candidate. Meet him this week in Arlington. [From: Carol Moore <mailto:Carolmoore@kreative.net?]

-- ANNOUNCEMENTS --

- ACTION ALERT! THE US SENATE IS SET TO APPROVE A $300 MILLION/YR INCREASE IN TAX SUBSIDIES FOR ARMS EXPORTS AS PART OF A $4 TO $6 BILLION CORPORATE WELFARE GIVEAWAY.

The Foreign Sales Corporations Repeal and Extraterritorial Income Exclusion Act of 2000 (H.R. 4986) which passed the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday, September 19, is an example of the worst kind of corporate welfare, and a substantial threat to public health and safety. Your Senators need to hear that you OPPOSE H.R. 4986 AND ITS EGREGIOUS

SUBSIDIES for the tobacco, pharmaceutical, and defense industries.

H.R. 4986: *Doubles the available tax benefit for arms exporters- amounting to a $300 million dollar increase in subsidies. Though the US already corners the market on arms sales, this bill would encourage greater sales of weapons abroad, strengthening military dictatorships and threatening global stability...."

At present it appears that H.R. 4986 may come up for a floor vote in the Senate as early as this week. H.R. 4986 is a flawed response to a WTO ruling that our current FSC scheme is an unfair trade practice. Although the EU, the complainant in the original suit, has already stated that it will not accept this new legislation, proponents of the bill are using a putative WTO Oct 1 deadline to pressure Congress into passing the bill without any amendments. In fact, the US and EU are now engaged in negotiations that have thus far resulted in the EU effectively rescinding the Oct 1 deadline.... [From: "Jim Bridgman" <mailto:jbridgman@peace-action.org>]

- Congrats! Clinton says "NO" to Star Wars!

Recently, President Clinton announced that the US would NOT move forward in constructing a Star Wars anti-missile system that could provoke a news arms race with Russia and China. Because of growing public concern and its faulty technology, the President made the right move. Congratulations! You helped make this happen. Your help, however, is still needed. Star Wars is not over yet! In fact, the President left the door open for his successor to either put an end to this dangerous program - or deploy it as soon as possible. Please send a free postcard to presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore at: www.DontBlowIt.org [From: "DontBlowIt.org" <mailto:webmaster@dontblowit.policy.net>]

- 384 reactor accidents in Russia

http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/2000/0918/russianukes.html A confidential report prepared by a group of experts earlier this year for the Russian government said that during the past 50 years there have been 384 reactor accidents with release of radiation, causing 58 deaths and 214 cases of acute radiation poisoning - and that does not count the Aug. 12 sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk. [TIME EUROPE September 18, 2000, Vol. 156 No. 12]

- This is an exceptionally good op-ed on Pentagon waste and corporate welfare, I urge you to reprint it and forward it and generally get it out there. Van Gosse, Peace Action <mailto:vgosse@peace-action.org> The Defense Contractor Welfare King http://commondreams.org/views/092000-104.htm Published Weds., September 20, 2000 in the Seatlle Post-Intelligencer

- Am-Bushed on Oprah (September 20, 2000)

Greetings from Chicago, where Voices members visited with Oprah Winfrey's audience before the show and then were able to pose questions to George W. Bush. Below are Danny Muller's and Andrew Mandell's accounts which we'd be glad to circulate further with your help. Also, should you need talking points in response to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's recent remarks about Iraq, please visit the commondreams.org website which has posted "Through the Looking Glass," - our response to Ms. Albright's suggestion that those who protest economic sanctions against Iraq hold "Alice in Wonderland" fantasies. Kathy Kelly --

Am- Bushed on Oprah Or What Time Do you get up in the Morning?

September18- Five AM is early. Early enough to make you really question what merits getting out of bed at such an ungodly hour. But today was different. I was surrounded by others who felt called to provide a voice for children half way around the planet who are being ravaged by the effects of our sanctions and our bombs. People who feel that our foreign policy in Iraqis genocide and that it must change.

Andrew Mandell and I had tickets for the Oprah show today, an event that would not normally be on our list of events to attend. But George W. Bush was being interviewed in the aftermath of his call for increased militarism and a vow that he would "get tougher on Iraq." As we stood in line to enter, members of the Voices affinity group offered each audience member a rose affixed to a postcard, urging that the flower be worn to commemorate children who have died due to economic sanctions on Iraq. The cards also suggested questions to raise with Mr. Bush. We felt gratified that so many people took the rose, read the card, thought for a minute and then pinned the rose on their clothing as they waited to enter the studio.

But other forces were also in motion. As we stood to pass through the metal detector, a bewildered voice, in an almost apologetic tone, announced that everyone must remove their flowers "for some reason, don't ask me." An image I will not forget for a long time was people lining up to hand over their roses as they approached the metal detector. In a society where free speech and free expression are so prized, the regular infringement on the right to free speech is almost as surprising as the complacency of those who are prevented from speaking.

Three hundred Oprah fans and a couple of non-complacents sat down to watch Oprah interview Bush on a variety of topics. None of these topics addressed the roots of problems affecting most of the world's population, like hunger. Or poverty. Or trying to fall asleep as warplanes screech across night skies, over villages that lay in rubble and filth, with children condemned to death by people they will never know. And I wonder What is more frightening? The few who profit from US policy toward Iraq, the handful who set the rules, sell the guns, dominate the oil sales-or the millions who stand by and pay, through their taxes and their silence, for crimes that afflict children? Will any of those who excuse governments for their crimes at least understand why people get up at 5AM for any other reason than to laugh on cue to rehearsed answers to even more rehearsed questions...

Standing up, about halfway through the show, I asked "Mr. Bush, would you continue the Democrats' policy of bombing and sanctions that kill 5,000 children a month in Iraq?" Cutting to commercial on cue, Bush was spared having to answer. But he was not spared the question. Andrew stood and asked about what Iraqi children burdened by sanctions can expect, a reference to Bush's earlier remarks about great expectations for those who support his campaign. Mr. Bush stared directly at Andrew while Ms. Winfrey rebuked me, saying "You can't do this." I explained to Ms. Winfrey that I felt compelled to speak, that after traveling to Iraq and witnessing children die for lack of medicine, I needed to act. The room was silent. Ms. Winfrey gave me a momentary look of concern before I was escorted out. In the fleeting moments of what many might perceive as a stark confrontation, Andrew and I locked eyes with Ms. Winfrey and Mr. Bush, and I felt that there was a chance we reached two people who wield tremendous influence in our society.

To see people who create nonviolent change by creating beauty and asking questions that are not asked is a lesson in nonviolence. I hope we as a country can learn this lesson before it is too late. After our action, though, what lingers is sorrow. Sorrow and overwhelming sadness. That good people, like the audience members today, can remain complacent in the face of tremendous evil. That people like the beautifully attired young Bush supporter outside the Oprah show could say, when she was asked whether Bush, if elected president, would support the murderous sanctions regime, "Oh, I don't know anything about that, I'd need to know more." Sorrow that disruption is necessary to address basic facts about mortality rates and body totals that we are responsible for. Sorrow that the other 300 people in that room were not on their feet, that millions of Americans joined them on their couches and not on the streets speaking a simple message - do not kill our brothers and sisters in Iraq and around the world.

So with 6 weeks before we vote in this democracy of ours, if life were an Oprah show, would you sit or would you stand? - Danny Muller

Roses in September

We brought flowers in the name of the lost children of Iraq. The lady in front of me carefully attached one to her dress. Her companion was much too enlightened for that. She knew that this sort of thing was "politically motivated" and therefore suspect. One has to be careful when rallying behind dying children. There is no telling whose they might be. The flowers didn't make it in. At the doorway into America's living room, which looked surprisingly like a common metal detector, these red roses were collected and bagged. They, as well as the questions on the hearts of the Iraqi people, were not part of the script.

Bush is speaking about forgiveness. Not regarding the offering of grace on any international scale or even in regards to the domestic questions that seem to swirl around the hanging governor from Texas. He stays on the receiving end of forgiveness and even there leaves any detail aside. "I am running for President" is his excuse for this ducking of substance. Like the knowing, well-trained acting troupe the room feigns amusement and puts on its best "we know what it takes to rule the world" face. Danny is going to interrupt as it seems clear now that this head-to-head confrontation is a long commercial for the discerning impaired. First, a commercial break and then a video clip of George W. offering to be the pilot of our Great Expectations. This is the last straw. Dickens' rolls in his grave and when we return to the show Danny Muller stands up and asks Mr. Bush about the children of Iraq and their expectations. I try to follow up but the risk of empathy is avoided by a commercial break. The crowd is of course shocked. Not because our policy and economic sanctions are crushing a civilian population against a tyrant but because anyone might consider such everyday activities the basis to interrupt the grown- ups. My daughter understood the interruption if not the response, when she hears us speak of the suffering in Iraq. She writes letters in crayon to the leaders and in all faith asks them to intervene. I have to go home and tell her that not only does the next-in-line refuse to imagine anything higher than the price offered so coldly by Ms. Albright, but that George W Bush cannot be bothered by such questions. They are not "part of the format". I never liked grown-ups. -Andrew Mandell

------------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: df7332@aol.com

Nuclear sites made public Firms did weapons work

By Peter Eisler USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000921/2669054s.htm

WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department today will release the names and locations of more than 550 companies, research sites and other places across the nation where radioactive and toxic materials may have been secretly processed for the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

The list was obtained Wednesday by USA TODAY. Its publication follows a USA TODAY investigation that detailed the government's extensive use of private companies for nuclear arms work.

That investigation, published earlier this month, turned up about 300 private contractors that did weapons work. It also revealed that unwitting workers at many sites were exposed to extreme radiation and chemical hazards and that many companies dumped hazardous waste into surrounding communities.

While the federal plants and labs in the database have been publicly known for years, this is the first time the government has released a comprehensive list that includes commercial facilities.

The list is being released on the day of a House hearing on legislation that would for the first time provide government compensation to weapons workers with illnesses linked to exposure to radioactive and toxic material. It's likely to raise questions about whether the bill, which mainly promises aid to workers at federal sites, should provide more guarantees of coverage for workers at the private facilities.

------------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: ivan buchbinder <pentaske@memes.com>

"Howdy Ivan,

I do agree with the fellows hypothesis that for high voltage power lines that the ozone generation and the ionization of pollutants is the major driver of the health effects. Low level ozone seriously damages the lungs, and the pollutants damage the lungs and move into other parts of the body, particularly the lymph system and damage the immune protection cell performance.

Also, keep in mind that this same problem of ionization can happen with radioactive gas releases from nuke power plants, as well as radiation emitted from nuclear dumps-----------both those add to ground level ozone problems---and to ionization of pollutants.

Around here in tenn---------one can often notice that under a high volt power line the pine trees will die-----------they don't do well with ozone either.

For the high volt power line its the electric field making ozone, etc, thats the big issue. For low volt power line the mag field can cause problems. There are even worries for RF from cell phones causing internal ionization."

"Ivan -

Careful not to label this a dragon fart when you just don't know. Consider that the two primary particulate emittors are electrical generation plants and aggregate mining. Now consider where powerlines are found. Also consider how many people live within 400 meters of the powerlines.

Corona and the Henshaw theory were a significant part of the two weeks of testimony in the Arrowhead hearings in Duluth Minnesota last week. There, homes are far less than 400 meters from the site, and the line passes over at least one aggregate mine. Homes are commonly 20-50 feet from the South East Metro powerline (SE of Mpls/St. Paul area) where NSP wants to add another line, and there are readings of 60-90 mG IN PEOPLE'S BEDROOMS!

No, this is not a dragon fart masking damage caused by EMF. It's another side of the same deadly coin.

Carol A. Overland Attorney for WOLF, Intervenor in Arrowhead"

-----------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: "Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space" <globalnet@mindspring.com>

UPDATE ON OCT 7 ACTIONS

We are still adding more actions for the October 7 "International Day of Protest to Stop the Militarization of Space." Check our web site for daily updates. See our suggested Media Talking Points below.

OCTOBER 7 ACTIONS:

Adelaide, Australia
Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
Asheville, NC (Downtown at Vance monument)
Baku, Azerbaijan
Bathe, Maine
Beale AFB, CA (Space Command Radar Facility)
Brookfield, CT
Bucharest, Romania (American Embassy)
Cambridge, England
Cape Canaveral AFS, FL (Key launch facility)
Chicago, IL (Kluzynski Federal Building)
Colorado Springs, CO. (Space Command HQ)
Edwards AFB, CA (Flight testing center)
Flic en Flac, Mauritius
Fort Bragg, CA
France
Fylingdales, England (U.S. spy satellite base)
Great Neck, NY (Grace Avenue Park)
Greece
Hartford, CT (Oct 4)
Holland, MI
Huntsville, AL (TMD directorate)
Kalamazoo, MI
Kathmandu, Nepal (U.S. Embassy)
Kirtland AFB, N.M. (Key laser development center - Oct 6)
Leicester, England
London, England (U.S. Embassy)
Los Angeles AFB, CA (Space-based laser directorate)
Madison, WI
Mays Landing, NJ (Rep. Frank LoBiondo's office - Oct 6)
Menwith Hill, England (U.S. spy satellite base)
Nevada Test Site
New York, N.Y.
Northampton, MA
Osaka, Japan
Pathanamthitta, India
Penn State University
Schwaebisch Gmuend (Germany)
Seoul, Korea (TMD deployment sites)
Stockton, CA
St. Paul, MN (Lockheed Martin)
Sunnyvale, CA (Lockheed Martin)
Sydney, Australia (TMD testing expected in western Australia)
Tokyo, Japan
Toronto, Canada (Oct 14 at U.S. Consulate)
Tucson, AZ (Raytheon)
Valley Forge, PA. (Lockheed Martin)
Vandenberg AFB, CA (Key launch facility)
Vancouver, Canada
White House, Washington DC
White Sands Missile Test Range, N.M.

OCTOBER 7 INT'L ENDORSERS:
Abolition 2000
Arab Coordination Center of NGO's (Egypt)
Azerbaijan Women & Development Center
Brandywine Peace Community (Swarthmore, PA)
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (UK)
Capitol Region Council of Churches (Hartford, CT)
Central Coast Peace & Environmental Council (San Luis Obispo, CA)
Centre for Community Development & Environmental Research (Nepal)
Civil Network for a Peaceful Korea (Seoul)
Citizens for Peace in Space (Colorado Springs, CO)
Coalition for Peace & Justice (Linwood, NJ)
Don't Waste Connecticut
Earth First Journal
Earth Protector (St Paul, MN)
Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice
Global Peace Walk 2000
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (New York, N.Y.)
Grandmothers for Peace Int'l (Elk Grove, CA)
Grandparents for Peace (St Augustine, FL)
Great Neck SANE/Peace Action (NY)
Greek Committee for Int'l Detente & Peace
Greenpeace
High Desert Catholic Worker (Valyermo, CA)
International Center for Peace & Justice
International Network on Disarmament & Globilization
Jonah House (Baltimore, MD)
Le Mouvement de la Paix (France)
LIFPL (Paris)
Los Angeles Catholic Worker (CA)
Mauritius Action for Disarmament & Peace
Mendocino Nuclear Peace Action Group (CA)
Movement for Life & Peace (Buenos Aires)
Nevada Desert Experience
Norwegian Peace Alliance
Nukewatch
PACE (Canton, CT)
Pacific Campaign for Disarmament & Security (Japan)
Pacific Concerns Resource Centre (Fiji)
Paradigm Research Group
Pax Christi Australia
Pax Christi Florida
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
People for Nuclear Disarmament (Australia)
Polk County Citizens for Peace & Justice (Lakeland, FL.)
Post Cassini Flyby News
The Extraterrestrial Phenomena Political Action Committee
The Progressive
Reality News Network (West Palm Beach, FL)
UNPLUG Salem Campaign (Linwood, NJ)
U.S. Peace Council
Vandenberg Action Coalition (CA.)
War Resisters League
WILPF (Asheville, NC)
WILPF (Canada Section)
WILPF Int'l Secretariat (Geneva)
World Peace Council

Please let us know if your group would like to be listed as an October 7 sponsor and where you will hold a local action on that date in solidarity with others around the world. (Be sure to send us an e-mail update from your action so that we can share it with our mailing list.)

MEDIA TALKING POINTS:

Star Wars research, development, testing and deployment is destabilizing and will lead to a new arms race

Star Wars development is a waste of resources and will result in more social spending cuts

Theatre Missile Defense (TMD) is as destabilizing as National Missile Defense (NMD) and must be opposed as U.S. moves to deploy it in the Middle East & Asia

Space-based laser program, now nearing a testing site decision, is the real Reagan-era Star Wars plan

U.S. must sign a global ban on all weapons in space

Bruce K. Gagnon Coordinator Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space PO Box 90083 Gainesville, FL. 32607 (352) 337-9274 http://www.space4peace.org globalnet@mindspring.com

------------

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

Please Sign TMI Petition On Presiedent Jimmy Carter Cover Up Of 3 Mile Island & All Nuclear Plants

http://www.petitiononline.com/tmi/petition.html

------------

Message: 6
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: easlavin@aol.com

But wage replacement is the basis of workers compensation!

In a message dated 9/21/00 4:42:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, jrmichel@icx.net writes, quoting news article:

Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio, said House and Senate negotiators were discussing a program that would provide no more than $100,000 per ailing worker, plus medical care.

"This is certainly not ideal," he said, adding that one thing under consideration is that workers would not be allowed to recover lost wages.

Dear Janet:

Wage replacement is the basis of workers compensation -- $100,000 is less than the annual salary of one of the senior DOE staff people advising them to screw the workers. They want to take away rights to sue DOE contractors, not do anything about the Federal Tort Claims Act discretionary function loophole, and monetize a life of suffering for $100,000. Who's making deals for people they don't represent? Ed Slavin

---------

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: easlavin@aol.com

DOE,enablers battle for control:some "legacy," as in mess for future generations

Good evening:

DOE continues to battle for control over the compensation plan, with the ill-advised compromisers and appeasers of DOE now reportedly surrendering on wage replacement, which is the basis of all workers' compensation law.

Thus, the scheme is no longer a workers' compensation at all. It is a CON JOB, not compensation.

DOE does not want independent DOL Administrative Law Judge hearings, appeals and judicial review.

Like a tobacco company that wants to sit in judgment or have "home cooking" on its own cancer cases, DOE wants friendly Department of Justice lawyers to decide its cases.

That would be a rotten legacy for President Clinton and Speaker Hastert -- violating worker's rights and carving DOE's initials in the workers' backs and the U.S. Code. I would hope that those advising my Commander in Chief would tell him the truth about DOE and what it has done to the workers. Since neither he nor Vice President Gore have met with the sick workers in Oak Ridge, he has received his information filtered by DOE and DOJ, hardly objective sources.

If Congress and the President agree on a cruelly unfair compensation plan, it could be found to be an unconstitutional delegation of power in violation of the Delegation Doctrine.

By the way, there is equity jurisprudence going back 200 years that may allow legislation procured through fraud to be set aside, at least as to the wrongdoers, in a proper case.

And any worker denied compensation under a DOE-controlled scheme could sue for Constitutional torts, I reckon.

With kindest regards,

Ed Slavin Box 3084 St. Augustine, FL 32085-3084 (904) 471-7023

----------

Message: 8
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

MEDIA IGNORES END OF COLD WAR IN ASIA
WHY PENTAGON HATES KOREAN PEACE

THE PROGRESSIVE
September 2000
By Bill Mesler

You might have missed the significance if you live in the United States, but South Korean President Kim Dae Jung's summit meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong Il in mid-June was heralded around the world as the historic beginning of the end of the Cold War in Asia. For a half century, the two countries have engaged in one of the globe's tensest military standoffs.

For a half century, the two countries have engaged in one of the globe's tensest military standoffs. Their mutual border--a no-man's land of mines, booby traps, and entrenchments with two huge armies on either side of the "demilitarized zone"--had just last year been labeled by President Clinton as "the most dangerous spot in the world." In the days prior to the June summit, former South Korean President Kim Yung Sam revealed in an interview with Agence France-Presse that he had to personally plead with President Clinton not to launch an air strike against North Korea in 1994, a move he says would have ignited "a second Korean war."

Yet when current President Kim Dae Jung returned from his three-day, televised love fest in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, he was able to announce that, for the first time since World War II, there was no longer any danger of a war between the two Koreas. After Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong Il held hands and sang "our wish is unification," the rapprochement has been so rapid that recent polls show the South Korean public now holding a 90 percent favorable rating of North Korea. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori likened the changes to the "collapse of the Berlin Wall," a comparison heard frequently in Asia.

So why aren't policymakers in the United States celebrating?

Sure, there have been the requisite public congratulations issued to the South Koreans. But while the rest of the world marvels at recent events, U.S. officials fret.

"The threat of war is still there," comments one unenthusiastic State Department official, who asked not to be identified by name. "In terms of [the North Koreans'] military capability, they still have over a million troops ready to go."

The legacy-obsessed State Department, which has bent over backwards to produce a peace treaty--any peace treaty--in the Middle East, has done next to nothing to support the peace process taking place in East Asia.

"The Americans are behaving in a truly surly manner," says Chalmers Johnson, former head of the University of California-Berkeley political science and Chinese studies departments and author of the book Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire (Metropolitan Books, 2000). "What they desperately dislike is that peace has broken out in East Asia."

The problem is that peace in Korea upsets the Pentagon's applecart. For years, North Korea has been the Pentagon's dream come true, a perfect bogeyman to drum up support for obscene defense spending. Tiny, impoverished, technologically backward North Korea was built up into a threat so insidious it could be used to justify the additional $60 billion the Pentagon plans to spend on a National Missile Defense (NMD) shield over the next fifteen years. But the accord has already helped take the steam out of Star Wars (as did the recent missile test failure).

"The proponents of missile defense are true believers. They would believe in it if Iraq, Korea, and Iran disappeared tomorrow," says John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World. "But North Korea is and has always been the number one excuse for building this shield. So, politically, [the Korean summit] has changed the landscape for NMD somewhat."

But State Department officials have gone out of their way to say that the Korean summit does nothing to alter their perception that a hugely expensive missile defense system is needed. "I don't think we see in this [summit] as a seed of anything that would change the possibility of a missile threat to the United States," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told the Associated Press.

Perhaps even more important than providing a rationale for Star Wars, a hostile North Korea has justified the extension of American military power into the Far East. The disappearance of North Korea could eventually mean the withdrawal of the Pentagon's highly valued U.S. bases in South Korea and Japan. It is a nightmare scenario for military planners, especially as the Pentagon looks at China as the next enemy on the horizon.

The U.S. bases in South Korea, and the 37,000 U.S. troops stationed there, represent the Pentagon's only deployment on mainland Asia. Strategically, they place U.S. soldiers and weapons virtually at China's door.

In recent years, however, pressure has been mounting in South Korea itself for the removal of the troops. Since the mid-June summit between the Koreas, protests against U.S. troops stationed in Korea have increased dramatically.

"There is real hostility because people don't see the need for these troops to be stationed there," says Tim Shorrock, editor of Asia Trade and Investment Online. (When he was with the Journal of Commerce, Shorrock broke stories on U.S. involvement in South Korea's 1980 military coup, especially the Kwangju massacre, when Korean troops massacred 2,000 people.)

"This is our land! Let's drive out U.S. troops!" protesters chanted on June 17 at a U.S. military base fifty miles southwest of Seoul, according to the AP. "The protesters threw rocks and dirt and wielded bamboo sticks when riot police officers locked their plastic shields and batons to block them from marching on the range."

The protests have forced the Pentagon to place restrictions on its units in Korea. "We are concerned for the safety of the troops," says Department of Defense spokesman Terry Sutherland. "Soldiers have been told to keep together, keep low profiles, and avoid crowds."

The Pentagon has long worried that a thaw between North Korea and South Korea could cause problems. According to one Defense Department official quoted in The Washington Post, William Cohen's first question to policy officials when he became Defense Secretary in 1997 was, "How can we change the assumption that U.S. troops will be withdrawn after peace comes to the Korean peninsula?"

Those worries took center stage as the United States scrambled to react to the unexpected success of Kim's June visit to Pyongyang. No sooner had Kim returned to Seoul than he started hearing the tough questions from Americans about the maintenance of U.S. troops in Asia. Within weeks, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had shuffled off to the South Korean capital. In a telling press conference held with the South Korean foreign minister, nearly every statement--and nearly every question from reporters--revolved around the issue of maintaining U.S. troops.

"Any discussions of lowering numbers or withdrawal are not appropriate," said Albright, noting that "the United States is a Pacific power as well as an Atlantic power." Added Albright, "We don't put a time limit on our responsibilities or on pursuing our national interest."

A month later, she was off to Bangkok to meet with North Korea's Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun. The North Koreans had just made a dramatic announcement to Russian President Vladimir Putin that they were willing to abandon their missile program in exchange for Western aid in building scientific satellites. But Albright said Paek Nam Sun would not confirm the offer. This was the highest-level meeting ever between the United States and North Korea, but Washington downplayed it.

Washington did one other odd thing. Just days after the Korean leaders' summit, the State Department confirmed that it had lifted restrictions in place since 1977 that had limited the range of South Korean missiles. For the last twenty years, the United States has had an agreement with South Korea prohibiting it from having missiles that could reach beyond 112 miles. This limitation meant that South Korean missiles could "target North Korean forces near the border but put the North Korean capital just outside range," The Washington Post reported. "Now, the United States has agreed that South Korea can extend the range up to 300 kilometers, or 186 miles," more than enough to hit Pyongyang. The timing of this disclosure was peculiar, to say the least. The South Koreans did not want it to stall the peace process, so it decided to suspend any new missile development. But why did Washington change the policy, and why did it confirm it now?

It was, in the words of the Council for a Livable World's John Isaacs, "a crazy time to make a decision like that."

Bill Mesler is a writer in Washington, D.C. He wrote "The Mess NATO Left Behind" in our August 1999 issue.

Bruce K. Gagnon Coordinator Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space PO Box 90083 Gainesville, Fl. 32607 (352) 337-9274 http://www.space4peace.org globalnet@mindspring.com

----------

Message: 9
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000
From: easlavin@aol.com

Radiation Compensation Urged

By Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 22, 2000; Page A04

Nuclear weapons workers, some with fatal cancers and others severely disabled, pleaded with House leaders yesterday to not stand in the way of a plan to compensate thousands of men and women who were sickened by exposure to chemicals and radiation in America's bomb factories.

The emotional appeals by workers and family members added poignancy to a jurisdictional dispute that threatens to squash prospects for action this year. A compensation plan approved with bipartisan support in the Senate has stalled in the House because of disagreements over which agency should administer the program.

"Nuclear workers were placed in harm's way to help win the Cold War," Sam Ray, a Ohio uranium worker disabled by a rare bone cancer, told a House Judiciary subcommittee. "I hope your committee will see to it that we aren't left out in the cold."

The workers' pleas were echoed in testimony by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson and a phalanx of senators and House members, both Republican and Democrats, who urged passage of the measure in the waning weeks of the 106th Congress. Richardson, the first Energy Department chief to acknowledge the human cost of nuclear-weapons production, described the government's dealings with atomic workers over the last half century as "a shameful legacy of neglect."

"They have lost their jobs . . . they have lost their ability to provide for their children," he said. "They have suffered tremendously and it would be wrong for the Congress to continue the delay."

The compensation package approved by the Senate was attached to next year's defense authorization bill with backing from prominent Republicans, including Tennessee's Sen. Fred D. Thompson and Kentucky's Sen. Mitch McConnell, as well as top Democrats such as Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Since its passage, more than 100 House members of both parties have signed a letter urging the House leadership to adopt the Senate measure.

The plan would offer medical care and reimbursement for lost wages - or a lump-sum payment of $200,000 - for an estimated 4,000 workers who contracted certain diseases associated with exposure to radiation or toxic metals such as beryllium. After scaling back some of the program's features this week to improve chances of a compromise, Senate supporters estimated the cost of the package at less than $1 billion over five years.

Some House Republicans have balked over the program's costs; Rep. Lamar S. Smith, the Texan who chairs the House subcommittee on immigration and claims, has objected to attaching the measure to a defense spending bill, arguing that his committee held jurisdiction. House Republican leaders this week offered an alternative that would cut the lump-sum benefit in half while placing the Justice Department in charge of determining worker eligibility.

-----------

Message: 10
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000
From: easlavin@aol.com

DOE has gone from none sick to 50 to 120 to 4000 sick workers to be compensated?

Watching the CNN Newstand repeat on Joe Harding tonight, I noticed that in just a short span of time, DOE has gone from saying that no workers were sick and required compensation due to industrial disease, to 50 (the Oak Ridge workers DOE was going to bribe) to 120 (Richardson's earlier estimate for CNN) to 4000 (today's estimate by DOE and Congress), we sure don't want to pass legislation with arbitrary limits. In the ADA context, a Supreme Court decision by Sandra Day O'Connor took a Congressional estimate of the number of disabled people and used it as a cap, thereby finding against persons whose conditions were correctable and saying they were not disabled. By that specious logic, we would be stuck with any sick worker estimates that were in the legislative history of this bill, and after that number were paid off, there would be no more benefits for future sick workers. That's why DOE's rush to pass lousy legislation is so completely beyond the pale of civilized behavior -- DOE is acting like a tobacco company board of directors on speed, trying to get indemnity for its contractors and hoping no one gets prosecuted. Just say no.

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Message: 11
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

Preventing Accidental Nuclear Winter
NMD If Built, Will Probably Bring Accidental Nuclear War

By Dean Babst
Nuclear Winter
http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/babst-%20preventingnuclearwinter.htm

In a study made by the World Health Organization, they found that a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia could kill one billion people outright. In addition, it could produce a Nuclear Winter that would probably kill an additional one billion people. It is possible that more than two billion people, one-third of all the humans on Earth would be destroyed almost immediately in the aftermath of a global thermonuclear war. The rest of humanity would be reduced to prolonged agony and barbarism. These findings are from a study chaired by Sune K. Bergstrom (the 1982 Nobel laureate in physiology and medicine) nearly 20 years ago. (1)

Subsequent studies have had similar findings. Professor Alan Robock says, "Everything from purely mathematical models to forest fire studies shows that even a small nuclear war would devastate the earth." (2)

Rich Small's work, financed by the Defense Nuclear Agency, suggests that burning cities would produce a particularly troublesome variety of smoke. The smoke of forest fires is bad enough. But the industrial targets of cities are likely to produce a rolling, black smoke, a denser shield against incoming sunlight. (3)

Nuclear explosions can produce heat intensities of 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Centigrade at ground zero. Nuclear explosions can also lift an enormous quantity of fine soil particles into the atmosphere, creating more than l00,000 tons of fine, dense, radioactive dust for every megaton exploded on the surface. (4) The late Dr. Carl Sagan said the super heating of vast quantities of atmospheric dust and soot will cover both hemispheres. (5) For those who survive a nuclear attack, it would mean living on a cold, dark, chaotic, radioactive planet.

A nuclear warhead is far more destructive than is generally realized. For example, just one average size U.S. strategic 250 Kt nuclear warhead has an explosive force equal to 250,000 tons of dynamite or 50,000 World War II type bombers each carrying 5 tons of bombs. The truck bombs that terrorists exploded at the New York World Trade Center and in Oklahoma City each had an explosive force equal to about 5 tons of dynamite. (6)

Accidental Nuclear War

The U.S. and Russia each have more than 2,000 strategic nuclear warheads set for hair-trigger release. If launched they could be delivered to targets around the world in 30 minutes. They would have an explosive force equal to l00,000 Hiroshima size bombs. (7) Russia and the U.S. have more than 90 percent of the nuclear weapons in the world. The more automated and shorter the decision process becomes the greater is the possibility of missiles being launched to false warnings.

The U.S. is trying to decide whether to build an anti-missile "star wars" defense or not. In order for an anti-ballistic missile to hit another missile traveling at incredible speed that can come from many different directions, it would be necessary to have a very complex computerized system.

President Reagan's Defense Secretary, Casper Weinberger, said that since an anti-missile defense would require decisions within seconds, completely autonomous computer control is a foregone conclusion. There would be no time for screening out false alarms and a decision to launch would have to be automated---there would be no time for White House approval. (8)

A highly automated defense system that has no time for determining whether a warning is false or not is highly likely to launch to a false warning. There are always false warnings. For example, during 1981, 1982 and 1983 there were 186, 218 and 255 false alarms, respectively, in the U.S. strategic warning system. (9)

There have been at least three times in the last 20 years that the U.S. and Russia almost launched to false warnings. Fortunately there was enough time to determine that the warnings were false before decision time ran out.

In 1979, a U.S. training tape showing a massive attack was accidentally played.

In 1983, a Soviet satellite mistakenly signaled the launch of a U.S. missile.

In 1995, Russia almost launched its missiles because of a Norwegian rocket studying the northern lights. (l0)

If the U.S. builds an anti-missile defense it appears certain that missiles would be launched to false warnings because no time is available for determining whether a warning is false or not.

Preventive Action Needed

Plans to build an anti-missile defense need to be carefully researched as to how it could increase the danger of an accidental nuclear war. As the research progresses, the findings need to be widely discussed in the news media. The more widely and clearly the danger is made known the more concerned the public should be for agreements to greatly reduce and eventually eliminate all nuclear weapons from the world.

As humanity's safety becomes more and more dependent upon technology, the technological dangers need to be guarded against. Technical errors in one system may trigger errors in others. When researching missile defense dangers the following types of factors need to be included in the assessments, e.g. Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)), "Dead Hand" control of missiles, High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance (HERO). Russia's blind spots in its satellite warning system also need to be included in this research.

The U.S. and Russia are in a position where either can destroy humanity in a flash and yet there appears to be little recognition of this peril hanging over the world. Only 71 out of 435 U.S. congressional representatives signed a motion calling for nuclear weapons to be taken off of hair-trigger alert. (11) The U.S. Senate rejected the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1999. (12)

Queen Noor al Hussein, of Jordan, said "The sheer folly of trying to defend a nation by destroying all life on the planet must be apparent to anyone capable of rational thought." (13) There is a need to greatly increase public awareness of the danger in order to provide broad, long-term understanding and support for arms agreements ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

Reference and Notes

1. Sagan, Carl. The Nuclear Winter, Council for a Livable World Education Fund, Boston, MA, 1983.

2. Robock, Alan. "New models confirm nuclear winter," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist, September l989, pp 32-35.

3. Blum, Deborah. "Scientists try to predict nuclear future from forest fires," The Sacramento Bee, November 28, 1987.

4. Sagan, Op.Cit.

5. Ibid

6. Babst, Dean, Preventing An Accidental Armageddon," Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, February 2000,

7. Blair, Bruce. "Nuclear Dealerting: A Solution to Proliferation Problems," The Defense Monitor, Volume XXXIX, No.3, 2000.

8. Strategic Defense and Anti-Satellite Weapons, hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, April 25, 1984, pp. 69-74.

9. Letter from Air Force Space Command headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, February 16, 1984.

10. Babst, Op.Cit.

11. The Sunflower, No. 31, Jan. 00, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, Calif.

12. Gordon, Michael R. "Russia rejects call to amend ABM treaty," Contra Costa Times, Oct. 2l, 1999.

13. Hussein, Queen Noor al. "The Responsibilities of World Citizenship," Waging Peace Series, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, Calif., Booklet No 40, July 2000.

Dean Babst is a retired government research scientist and Coordinator of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Accidental Nuclear War Studies Program. The author acknowledges the helpful suggestions of David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Bob Aldridge, who heads the Pacific Life Research Center, and Andy Baltzo, who is Founder of the Mount Diable Peace Center in northern California.


-----------------------------------------------------


DOEWatch List ----A Magnum-Opus Project
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1. CRAC-2 Report, HORRORS At Every Commercial Nuke Plant InThe USA
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

2. Hyde Schedules Hearings on Compensation for Nuclear Weapons Workers
From: magnu96196@aol.com

3. Hyde Schedules Hearings on Compensation for Nuclear Weapons...
From: easlavin@aol.com

4. Cancer rise linked to power lines
From: magnu96196@aol.com

5. DOE says tests show K-25 water is safe to drink
From: magnu96196@aol.com

6. Strickland comments on retaining Ports in hot standby condition
From: magnu96196@aol.com

7. Nuclear sites made public Firms did weapons work
From: magnu96196@aol.com

8. USA TODAY - Nuclear sites made public Firms did weapons work
From: df7332@aol.com

9. Nickel recycling proposed
From: magnu96196@aol.com

10. DOE reports nuclear plant's water safe to drink
From: magnu96196@aol.com

11. Platts - Thursday, September 21, 2000
From: "Paul Maser" <pmaser@govmail.state.nv.us>

12. Administration supports nuclear compensation plan
From: magnu96196@aol.com

13. Part 1 of 2---Congressional Testimony---Sam Ray---9-21-00
From: magnu96196@aol.com

14. Part 2 of 2---Congressional Testimony---Sam Ray---9-21-00
From: magnu96196@aol.com

15. Take the Mystery out of Your Misery -- Thyroid Ills and Knoxville doctor
From: magnu96196@aol.com

16. Our Views: Time to bring close to sick worker issue
From: magnu96196@aol.com

17. Wamp speaking up for sick workers
From: magnu96196@aol.com

18. $165M OK'd for Melton Valley cleanup
From: magnu96196@aol.com

19. Not all in agreement on K-25 water safety
From: magnu96196@aol.com

20. Appalled by Wamp statement
From: magnu96196@aol.com

21. ORNL to participate in $4 million centrifuge research project
From: magnu96196@aol.com

22. Congresional Testimony on DOE Workers Compensation
From: magnu96196@aol.com

23. Testimony begins in nuclear workers' hearing
From: magnu96196@aol.com

24. Sick Nuke Workers Petition Congress
From: magnu96196@aol.com

25. 7 Nevada sites part of secret DOE work
From: magnu96196@aol.com

26. ORNL will head centrifuge-based reactor fuel project
From: magnu96196@aol.com

27. SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2000 TESTIMONY OF ANN H. ORICK
From: magnu96196@aol.com

28. 1 of 2 -- Congressional testimony---Paducah Worker---Joe Harding Story
From: magnu96196@aol.com

29. 2 of 2 -- Congressional testimony---Paducah Worker---Joe Harding Story
From: magnu96196@aol.com

30. Congressional Hearings-----Statement of Ray O. Slaughter
From: magnu96196@aol.com

31. Congresional Hearings---Dr Steven Markowitz---Queens College
From: magnu96196@aol.com

32. Army report confirms high IAAP radiation ----> Hydro tests with DU
From: magnu96196@aol.com

33. Good to know his foes. Ecologists for nuclear power
From: "Paula Elofson-Gardine, Exec. Dir." <pelofson1@home.com>

34. Toxic Texas The Environmental Legacy of Governor George W. Bush
From: magnu96196@aol.com

35. Waste Control Specialists
From: magnu96196@aol.com

36. USA TODAY----Sick workers want Congress to act quickly
From: magnu96196@aol.com

37. USA TODAY 1/2 Companies and research sites where radioactive and toxic materials
From: magnu96196@aol.com

38. USA TODAY 2/2 Companies and research sites where radioactive and toxic materials
From: magnu96196@aol.com

----------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: "Bill Smirnow" <smirnowb@ix.netcom.com>

Subject: CRAC-2 Report, HORRORS At Every Commercial Nuke Plant InThe USA
http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert/crac.html

http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert/probability.html
NRC Admits To Congress 45% Chance Of Core Melt Over 20 Year Period

http://www.geocities.com/mothersalert Home Page, Great Links

----------

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Hyde Schedules Hearings on Compensation for Nuclear Weapons Workers
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/na092000.htm

U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on the Judiciary
Henry J. Hyde, Chairman www.house.gov/judiciary

News Advisory
For immediate release September 20, 2000
Contact: Sam Stratman/Terry Shawn (202) 225-2492

What: Legislative hearing on H.R. 675, H.R. 3418, H.R. 3478, H.R. 3495, H.R. 4263 and H.R. 4398, which all deal with compensation for radiation and beryllium-related illnesses.

Who: Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims Lamar Smith, Chairman

When: Thursday, September 21, 2000 9:00 a.m.

Where: 2237 Rayburn House Office Building

Recent reports have detailed the government's use of private companies to build America's early nuclear arsenal. Thousands of individuals working for these companies were not made aware of the health hazards of their work with toxic materials used for nuclear weapons. Because of the Department of Energy's policies and its efforts to continue a veil of secrecy, these stricken individuals were unable to pursue their cases through the normal process of workers' compensation.

Background...

During the 1940's and 50's, the U.S. government used private plants, shops and mills to produce and process tons of toxic and radioactive material for nuclear weapons. Thousands of workers were unaware of the health hazards involved as a result of their extreme exposure to radiation and hazardous substances. Dozens of communities surrounding these operations were contaminated by the toxic and radioactive wastes, a by-product of the process. These hearings will...

Hear testimony from medical and workers' compensation issues experts; officials from the Department of Energy; and victims of radioactive exposure on legislation that would provide federal compensation for workers exposed to beryllium and various radioactive substances as a result of their weapons work.

Witnesses: Sen. Voinovich; Sen. Kennedy; Rep. Kanjorski; Rep. Kaptur; Rep. Strickland; Rep. Whitfield; Rep. M. Udall; Rep. Wamp; Rep. T. Udall; Bill Richardson, Secretary, Department of Energy; Lisa Ledwidge, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research; Steve Markowitz; Center for the Biology of Natural Systems; Richard D. Miller, Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union; Ken Rosenman, M.D., Michigan State University; Dan Guttman, President's Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments; Lawrence Repsher, M.D.; Ann Orrick; Sam Ray; Clara Harding; Raymond Slaughter; Pete Lopez.

----------

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: easlavin@aol.com

Hyde Schedules Hearings on Compensation for Nuclear Weapons...

Good morning: House Judiciary Republicans must have read the USA Today series, but their press release makes it sounds like we're only compensating people injured in the 1940s and 1950s. Nice try, Henry Hyde, you old rascal. Ed Slavin

In a message dated 9/21/00 9:17:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time, magnu96196@aol.com writes:

Background...

During the 1940's and 50's, the U.S. government used private plants, shops and mills to produce and process tons of toxic and radioactive material for nuclear weapons. Thousands of workers were unaware of the health hazards involved as a result of their extreme exposure to radiation and hazardous substances. Dozens of communities surrounding these operations were contaminated by the toxic and radioactive wastes, a by-product of the process. These hearings will...

Hear testimony from medical and workers' compensation issues experts; officials from the Department of Energy; and victims of radioactive exposure on legislation that would provide federal compensation for workers exposed to beryllium and various radioactive substances as a result of their weapons work.

------------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Cancer rise linked to power lines
The pylon debate has raged for decades

21 September, 2000
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_933000/933678.stm
By Alex Kirby,
BBC News Online environment correspondent and presenter of Costing the Earth

UK researchers claim to have found sharply higher cancer rates in people living close to overhead power lines.

If their findings apply nationally, it would suggest premature deaths on the scale of the annual road accident toll.

The researchers say the excess cancers are found only in people living downwind of the lines.

And they say this is strong evidence to support one theory of how electric fields may damage health.

But their work, described in BBC Radio Four's environment programme Costing the Earth, has been rejected by the National Grid, the company that operates the power lines.

Ionising effect

The research appears to vindicate a theory developed by Professor Denis Henshaw, of the physics department at Bristol University in the west of England.

He has found that a power line ionises the surrounding air, and believes this makes wind-borne pollution much more dangerous.

Professor Denis Henshaw put forward the aerosol hypothesis

"It splits the air up into positive and negative electrical charges, which are blown away from the power line by the wind," he says.

"They attach themselves to particles of pollution in the air and put an electrical charge on to them. When you inhale these small particles, they have a much higher probability of sticking in the lung."

Professor Henshaw stresses that his work deals with the electrical effects of power lines, not their magnetic fields. It is experimental and so far unproven.

But the new research findings appear to bear him out. The head of the research team is Dr Alan Preece, an epidemiologist in the oncology department of Bristol University medical centre.

Large excess

Dr Preece told the programme: "We're assessing the relative cancer risk within 400 metres of the lines. We looked at the postcodes of all the diagnoses of the different sorts of cancer for the whole of South West England.

"We found an excess, particularly of lung cancer, in that group of people who had been living within 400m of a line at the time of diagnosis.

The industry says the balance of evidence has yet to show the cables are a cancer risk

"You are likelier to get cancer there, but only if you live downwind, which is almost proof, or very strong supporting evidence, for the effect of the aerosols driven by the wind."

Dr Preece's own work is yet to be published officially. But a conference in Germany earlier this year of the Bioelectromagnetics Society heard that it suggested an average increase in the cancer risk of 29% over the expected rate.

Across the country, this could mean more than 3,000 premature deaths annually, roughly the number of people killed every year on the UK's roads.

Asked how confident he was of his findings, Dr Preece said: "I'm amazed at how robust they appear to be.

"Being cautious, I would love to repeat the study in another area of England, to see if we've got the same effect. It would be very easy to do."

Sceptical note

Studies of electricity industry workers in Canada and elsewhere support the hypothesis that electric fields are involved in the cancer process as a tumour promoter.

But the National Grid, which owns the UK's power lines, says it is "sympathetic but unconvinced" by Professor Henshaw and Dr Preece.

The Grid's scientific adviser, and spokesman for the UK Electricity Association, Dr John Swanson, said the industry had spent perhaps half a billion dollars worldwide over the last 20 years researching the effects of power lines.

"We have never said in a categorical way that power lines are safe," he said.

"What we have always said is that when you look at the totality of studies, then you come to the conclusion that the balance of evidence is that power lines and the fields they produce do not have an effect on health."

Costing the Earth is broadcast on BBC Radio Four at 2100 BST on 21 September.

Comment:

I do agree that the largest health driver from high voltage power lines is the ozone generation via the electrical ionization effects. This causes higher levels of ground level ozone in the regions of the lines. Pollutants as well as oxygen can be ionized and this will cause increased retention in the lungs. The ozone will damage the lungs and the pollutants can both damage the lungs and migrate into other areas of the body and particularly into the lymph system where they can damage the immune protection cells.

In a like situation, the same thing happens around and downwind of nuclear power plants that emit beta radiation gases into the atmosphere. And the same effect can happen downwind of nuclear dumps that are not shielded and emit radiation into the air that will ionize the air and pollutants.

Ground level ionization effects produce health problems.

------------

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

DOE says tests show K-25 water is safe to drink

September 21, 2000
By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel Oak Ridge bureau
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/15318.shtml

OAK RIDGE -- The water at the K-25 Site is safe to drink, the U.S. Department of Energy reported Wednesday, offering test results and the opinion of project participants and observers to support that conclusion. While the report may put to rest concerns about the quality of current drinking-water supplies at the federal plant, allegations regarding previous water problems -- and potential health effects on site workers -- have yet to be addressed.

DOE promised Wednesday to make public a plan for Phase 2 of the water investigation within the next few weeks. The project is expected to evaluate historical records and gather other information to determine the extent of past contamination problems at K-25, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park.

"We're not ready to reveal those plans," DOE spokesman Steven Wyatt said.

Concerns about K-25's water system were raised several weeks ago by past and present workers at the plant, some of whom suffer from illnesses they blame on workplace exposures.

One of the issues involved cross-connecting pipes and the possibility of contamination from nonsanitary water lines -- such as those used to fight fires -- mixing with the drinking water.

Henry Huffman of Operations Management International, which operates the plant's water system, said a review of the site found one instance of interconnecting pipes, but he said the area was inactive. He also said there would have to be three system failures for water from the fire-water basin to flow back into the sanitary water pipeline.

Earl Leming, the state's environmental oversight chief in Oak Ridge, said, "We're satisfied the water is safe to drink."

Leming, however, said the state remains "greatly concerned" about the potential for contamination in the Clinch River, where K-25 draws its water supplies. He noted that several upcoming cleanup projects should reduce the leakage from old nuclear burial sites upstream at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Harry Williams, a spokesman for Coalition for a Healthy Environment, which includes some former workers and area residents with health concerns, said his group didn't support DOE's methods in evaluating the water system and said all the participants had some connection to DOE. As a result, CHE left the project after initial discussions.

But Williams said CHE still intends to participate in the historical review of K-25 water supplies.

"Absolutely," he said. "Providing they do a truly independent sample, we're going to be right there. When I say sample, I want dirt samples, pipe scrapings; I want the steam system and the storm system evaluated."

Frank Munger can be reached at 865-482-9213 or twig1@knoxnews.infi.net.

Comments:

One of the more serious problems is the K-25 water intake is less than a mile downstream of the worst of ORNL radionuclide discharge points, and the dischage emission is a function of many things, including rainfall, filter efficiency, and accidents.

At one time the ORNL dischages were highest in Sr-90 and persons at K-25 drank water contaminated with Sr-90, the entire plant population did. This was recognized by a Dr. Anderson in the mid-80's. Today, ORNL has installed kitty litter filters in the burial grounds to slow the leaking of Sr-90, and now the largest emission is tritium.

The emissions into the river can change seriously if there is high rainfall over the ORNL burial grounds and it can go up tens of times.

Basically, the contamination seen in these tests was a snap shot taken in a period of extreme dryness for the area and a time when the ORNL contaminates are at a low. Other snapshots on high discharge days can be quite different. Or as the ORNL filters loose collection efficience the numbers can be quite different.

If DOE was smart----------they would put in a water line clear up to melton hill dam and well ahead of the ORNL discharge points and eliminate these time dependent uncertainty of the water contamination.

------------

Message: 6
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Strickland comments on retaining Ports in hot standby condition

Portsmouth Daily Times
September 20,2000

Washington, DC.- Congressman Ted Strickland has released his eight-point plan to prevent job loss and protect the nation's energy security at the Portsmouth uranium plant by keeping the facility in "hot standby," speeding cleanup and using the site to help develop the next generation of nuclear fuel technology. Strickland's plan calls for (1) maintaining the plant in "hot standby until the Paducah plant proves it can meet domestic needs; (2) accelerating cleanup; (3) speeding construction of a uranium recycling facility; (4) providing for worker transition; (5) investing in local economic development;(6) renegotiating a favorable power contract; (7) protecting the plant's crucial assests, such as its multi- million dollar supply of coolant; and (8) helping develop the next generation of nuclear fuel production at the site. "This plan, or something similar, will enable us to prevent job loss if the plant closes,' Strickland said. "It will also give us an opportunity to invest in the future by cleaning up the site and encouraging job growth an economic development. Hot standby will keep a sizable amount of workers at the plant in case USEC ceases to produce nuclear fuel domestically. This is a plan that protects job security and national energy security." "This strategy is crucial not only for our local economy, but for the energy security needs of the United States, " Strickland said.

------------

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Nuclear sites made public Firms did weapons work

By Peter Eisler
USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000921/2669054s.htm

WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department today will release the names and locations of more than550 companies, research sites and other places across the nation where radioactive and toxic materials may have been secretly processed for the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

The list was obtained Wednesday by USA TODAY. Its publication follows a USA TODAY investigation that detailed the government's extensive use of private companies for nuclear arms work.

That investigation, published earlier this month, turned up about 300 private contractors that did weapons work. It also revealed that unwitting workers at many sites were exposed to extreme radiation and chemical hazards and that many companies dumped hazardous waste into surrounding communities.

While the federal plants and labs in the database have been publicly known for years, this is the first time the government has released a comprehensive list that includes commercial facilities.

The list is being released on the day of a House hearing on legislation that would for the first time provide government compensation to weapons workers with illnesses linked to exposure to radioactive and toxic material. It's likely to raise questions about whether the bill, which mainly promises aid to workers at federal sites, should provide more guarantees of coverage for workers at the private facilities.

----------

Message: 8
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: df7332@aol.com

Nuclear sites made public Firms did weapons work
By Peter Eisler
USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000921/2669054s.htm

WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department today will release the names and locations of more than 550 companies, research sites and other places across the nation where radioactive and toxic materials may have been secretly processed for the U.S. nuclear weapons program.

The list was obtained Wednesday by USA TODAY. Its publication follows a USA TODAY investigation that detailed the government's extensive use of private companies for nuclear arms work.

That investigation, published earlier this month, turned up about 300 private contractors that did weapons work. It also revealed that unwitting workers at many sites were exposed to extreme radiation and chemical hazards and that many companies dumped hazardous waste into surrounding communities.

While the federal plants and labs in the database have been publicly known for years, this is the first time the government has released a comprehensive list that includes commercial facilities.

The list is being released on the day of a House hearing on legislation that would for the first time provide government compensation to weapons workers with illnesses linked to exposure to radioactive and toxic material. It's likely to raise questions about whether the bill, which mainly promises aid to workers at federal sites, should provide more guarantees of coverage for workers at the private facilities.

------------

Message: 9
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Nickel recycling proposed

The Paducah Sun
Thursday, September 21, 2000
By Joe Walker jwalker@paducahsun.com--270.575.8650
http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/news2000/nn10785.htm

Paducah, Kentucky Two members of a group designed to ease the impact of job losses at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant will be in Toronto on Monday to assess a firm proposing a project to clean radioactive nickel at the plant and sell it for millions of dollars for limited commercial use. The Paducah Area Community Reuse Organization is considering hiring CVD Manufacturing, a 3-year-old Canadian firm, to build a nickel decontamination facility at the Paducah plant. The facility would create 26 to 40 jobs and, through the sale of nickel, could generate $8 million to $12 million for PACRO to funnel into other ventures to produce income for displaced gaseous diffusion plant workers, said committee member Henry Hodges.

Hodges mentioned the trip during discussions at Wednesday's monthly PACRO meeting in Mayfield. The PACRO board also approved a $750,000 grant to help build a 50,000-square-foot speculative building on 10 acres in Industrial Park West off Olivet Church Road. Funding will be used by the Paducah-McCracken County Industrial Development Authority for the spec building project, whose total cost is $951,000.

PACRO receives grant money from the Department of Energy in a program that helps find jobs for displaced DOE plant workers by developing industrial parks, promoting small businesses and other methods.

Accompanied by DOE experts, Hodges and PACRO Chairman Ric Ladt will visit CVD's Toronto plant, which converts metals other than nickel into gas. Hodges, director of the Purchase Area Development District, said CVD has done laboratory work decontaminating radioactive nickel, and the Energy Department believes the system could be used at Paducah.

"What we're really trying to do is replace some of the value taken away by downsizing or closing the Paducah plant," Hodges said. "That's our mission."

But the nickel project is highly controversial.

Federal lawsuits allege that the nickel - about 9,700 tons stored in a 25-acre scrap yard within the fenced area of the plant - is highly radioactive and a threat to workers and the public. In July, DOE declared a temporary ban on the sale of potentially contaminated scrap from its facilities nationwide after citizens' groups complained that the metal could wind up in such products as children's dental braces. State environmental regulators also have expressed concerns.

DOE is expected to lift the moratorium late this year or early next year, assuming health and safety issues are resolved.

During the August PACRO meeting, Mark Donham, a member and former chairman of DOE's Paducah citizens' advisory board, said the Energy Department promised the board in writing to use nickel-sales money for environmental cleanup. Sale of the nickel, estimates of whose value range from $40 million to $80 million, would recoup an entire year's cleanup costs.

PACRO Director John Anderson said Wednesday that DOE has been unable to confirm the promise, but PACRO and DOE continue to research Donham's claim. However, DOE has approved each step of the work toward cleansing and selling the nickel, Anderson said.

Hodges said PACRO proposes a "closed-loop" system to sell decontaminated nickel to manufacturers whose products are not in direct contact with consumers. A few of the potential uses are in military aircraft landing gear and some parts of automobiles, he said.

"The experts have convinced me that the decontaminated nickel would be purer than nickel that is mined," Hodges said. "But the closed-loop system would provide an added measure of safety."

CVD Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Chemical Vapour Deposition Systems Inc., has operations in Canada and Germany. The Toronto plant makes industrial molds and other products, and has a research and development branch.

PACRO learned about CVD through ELR Consultants, which has offices in Paducah and Oak Ridge, Tenn. The consulting firm has a $200,000 contract with PACRO to study ways to use the nickel.

Also Wednesday, PACRO approved nearly $93,000 in low-interest loans to help current and former Paducah plant employees start businesses.

The group approved a loan of $67,775 to Carrie Ryan, who took voluntary severance from the downsized plant, to start Carrie's Malt Shoppe and Creamery on South 2nd Street. The restaurant, which will cost $123,700, will employ two full-time workers and 15 to 20 part-time people.

A $25,000 loan was approved for Lauri Bebout, a current plant worker, to start a door-to-door marketing service called Your Door Store. The business will provide advertising services in Paducah and McCracken County and is expected to employ seven people.

So far, PACRO has approved $149,275 in three business start-up loans to current and former plant workers, and has $253,443 remaining in the loan fund. PACRO member Norma Drouin, who handles the loan program through the development district, said only three workers have applied for loans, all of which were approved, although 56 people have inquired about the loan program.

------------

Message: 10
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

DOE reports nuclear plant's water safe to drink

9/21/00
By Susan Thomas
http://www.tennessean.com/sii/00/09/21/nuke21.shtml

OAK RIDGE -- Drinking water at the Oak Ridge reservation's former K-25 nuclear bomb fuel plant here is now safe to drink, a U.S. Department of Energy study released yesterday says.

Health concerns sparked an investigation at the site six weeks ago when internal DOE documents and former supervisors revealed that K-25's purified water lines had been improperly cross-connected to water lines carrying impure water used to fight fires and cool machinery during a half-century of uranium fuel production.

"These results from the first phase of the sampling program back up our belief that the drinking water at the site is, indeed, safe," DOE spokesman Steven Wyatt said.

However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chose to conduct its own independent water sampling probe at K-25. It should be completed in the next few weeks, an EPA spokeswoman said yesterday.

Some former workers expressed sharp skepticism of the DOE study, saying the Energy Department should have named a clearly independent entity to oversee its sampling.

"Anybody with any sense has got to admit that this is another case of the fox guarding the henhouse," said Harry Williams, president of a group of sick former K-25 workers who suspect their often disabling mix of mysterious health problems stem from unknowingly being exposed to a multitude of poisons there.

"We want to believe DOE; we really do. But how can they expect us to take everything they say as the gospel when they've lied to us time and time again? That just doesn't work anymore."

Both state watchdogs and representatives from the workers' union said they felt DOE's testing was adequate.

Earl Leming of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation office here said he was "comfortable" with the study.

John Steward of the Paper, Allied-Industrial and Chemical Employees Union said: "I was there every step of the way, and I stand behind the results completely. It would have been great, though, if we had had a completely independent party. That would have eliminated the concerns and the doubts of some of the workers."

A second phase of the study is already under way -- to try to reconstruct what contamination took place when water lines were improperly crossed.

"We should have more details on that in a few weeks," Wyatt said.

Crossing the lines allowed contaminated water to flow into the drinking water lines. The water to fight fires and cool machinery was taken from a stream laced with toxic by-products from nuclear weapons production and was not purified, like the drinking water. Additionally, chemicals to prevent rust and freezing were added to the cooling and firefighting water lines.

In July, a team of DOE-hired doctors who studied 53 Oak Ridge workers for almost four years determined that several have illnesses linked to K-25. The doctors voiced concern that a contaminated drinking water system could have a provided a pathway for poisons to reach workers.

Spearheaded by DOE, the water study is being conducted by Operations Management International, a private utility company that operates the K-25 water system. To date, DOE has spent more than $200,000 on the study.

More than 475 water samples taken from 19 locations across the sprawling K-25 complex were sent to independent laboratories and tested for radioactive elements, toxic metals, poisonous chemicals and bacteria.

Five of the samples tested positive for bacteria. However, officials said they believe this contamination came from packing materials during shipment to the labs, because additional samples from the same location were not contaminated.

Representatives from several groups accepted advisory and oversight roles in the water testing.

Those individuals were allowed open access to participate as they saw fit, including physically accompanying OMI personnel during collection of the water samples and overseeing the transportation of the samples to the labs.

"This innovative approach was taken to assure workers and the public that this effort would be conducted with the utmost integrity in obtaining and presenting the results," yesterday's report says.

In early 1997, The Tennessean began profiling the plight of the ill workers in Oak Ridge. Since then, the newspaper has interviewed more than 400 individuals suffering similar respiratory, neurological and immune system disorders who work or live near 13 DOE weapons facilities in 11 states.

The key struggle for the ill men, women and children -- whose symptoms range from bloody rashes and slurred speech to birth defects -- is attempting to prove their suspicions that the health problems are tied to poisons on the nuclear sites.

That struggle, they say, is difficult and elusive because scientific and medical experts simply do not know how low-level exposures to multiple toxic substances over long periods of time may affect the human body.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress to provide money and health care to certain sick workers. That legislation has passed the Senate but has not been approved by the House.

A subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on the legislation today.

Comments: Congrats to Harry Williams for picture in Tennessean, see URL.

---------

Message: 11
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: "Paul Maser" <pmaser@govmail.state.nv.us>

Platts
Nuclear News Flashes
Thursday, September 21, 2000

Washington - Cameco focuses on growing core nuclear business Cameco President Gerald Grandey said the future of the company's strategic plan is on "growth in its core nuclear business. This contemplates both vertical and horizontal growth." In an on-line question-and-answer session sponsored by New York Nuclear Corp.'s UraniumOnLine, Grandey said Cameco "continues to have an interest in the future ownership of Urenco." He added that "on the assumption that we are interested in Urenco, an ownership position would fit with Cameco's core business strategy. Cameco's financial position and cash flow is quite strong and would allow us to make acquisitions of interest." Grandey also said that Cameco would not buy a minority interest in Urenco if USEC also bought an interest in Urenco.

Stockholm (Nuclear News Flashes)--20Sep2000 Crack repair problems delay Sweden's Ringhals-1 restart Restart of Sweden's Ringhals-1 after maintenance has been delayed because of problems repairing cracks in brackets securing core cooling system piping in the vessel. Production manager Leif Johansson said that the goal is still to get back on line by the end of October, but that he can't rule out the work might take even longer. The unit should already have been back in operation. In the worst case, if brackets can't be repaired, the entire vessel head will have to be replaced.

-------------

Message: 12
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Administration supports nuclear compensation plan But Nevada Test Site workers get no help

September 21, 2000
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By KATHERINE RIZZO
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.lvrj.com/cgi-bin/printable.cgi?/lvrj_home/2000/Sep-21-Thu-2000/news/14427547.html

WASHINGTON --The Clinton administration on Tuesday endorsed swift enactment of a compensation plan for nuclear weapons plant workers sickened on the job.

There was no recommendation for helping Nevada Test Site workers, but one Nevada U.S. senator called it good news anyway.

In a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Floyd Spence, R-S.C., Energy Secretary Bill Richardson asked that a compensation program be passed as part of an unrelated military bill.

Richardson supported guaranteed funding for the compensation, requiring the government to pay the benefits, regardless of cost, without gaining approval each year through the congressional appropriations process.

Some House Republicans have expressed reluctance to create any new benefits entitlement, and the administration's own budget office expressed concern about the unpredictable long-term cost.

Congressional negotiators had been waiting for weeks for the administration to clarify its position.

House Republicans who favored more study had been citing disagreement between the Energy Department and the Office of Management and Budget as reason to hold off a decision.

Richardson's letter said the Clinton administration strongly supports compensation for workers exposed to radiation or beryllium. He made no mention of miners who breathed lung-clogging silica while digging tunnels under the Nevada Test Site.

Dr. David Michaels, the Energy Department's top health official, said that's because "the administration hasn't formally closed and sent its recommendations on that."

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said it was a victory to get the administration to be silent about silicosis. "They were originally going to oppose this, and only include the workers exposed to radiation or beryllium," he said. "We'll take what we can get."

Reid said he was mainly concerned about House leaders' opposition to including silicosis victims in a compensation program.

"We have a real problem with leadership over there," Reid said.

No Nevadans sit on the conference committee of representatives and senators discussing the bill.

Workers at the Nevada Test Site oversaw nuclear weapons tests from 1951 to 1992. As many as 100,000 Southern Nevadans worked at the test site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, though it's not clear how many suffer from silicosis.

Michaels said he thought prospects for achieving agreement on a compensation program had brightened.

"We think it has a very good shot," he said. "I think politically there's enough support to make this work."

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a Senate-passed compensation plan could cost about $2.4 billion over the first five years, including coverage of silicosis.

After running into resistance from House Republicans, the administration and some of the program's Senate backers proposed changes that would bring the five-year cost down to about $1.8 billion.

optional trim starts hereAmong the changes under discussion:

--Reducing the sick workers' cash benefit from a minimum of $200,000, as passed by the Senate, to $100,000. There was no clear consensus Tuesday on whether that $100,000 would be the total paid to each eligible worker or the minimum, House and Senate aides said.

--Giving workers with life-threatening beryllium disease more benefits than those with beryllium sensitivity.

--Limiting all benefits to only those who worked in the weapons complex at least a year.

No compensation program for the workers with radiation-caused illnesses or beryllium disease has passed the House, though two House subcommittees have scheduled hearings on competing compensation bills.

Justice Department's Radiation Exposure Compensation Program: http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/torts/const/reca/index.htm
optional trim ends here
http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2000/Sep-21-Thu-2000/news/14427547.html

Comments:

The current bill leaves many of the gas diffusion workers stranded because it omits any pre-admissions on HF and fluorides toxic effects that involved all the plants workers and even downwind communities.

The current bill does not even come close to legislation like black lung disease, that should have been a model for this bill.

---------------

Message: 13
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Part 1 of 2---Congressional Testimony---Sam Ray---9-21-00
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/ray0921.htm

Introduction

I am Sam Ray, a uranium enrichment worker formerly employed at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Portsmouth, Ohio. I reside at 128 Overlook Drive, Lucasville, OH.

I was hired at Portsmouth in 1954 when the Atomic Energy Commissionīs uranium enrichment plant first commenced operations. I worked as a production operator and instrument mechanic until May 1994 when I contracted a rare type of bone cancer-- chondrosarcoma. As a result, I had to have my larynx removed. My understanding is that there are two things that can cause my type of cancer. One is Pagetīs Disease, which I didnīt have, and the other is radiation, which I did have. I have never smoked a day in my life. It is well documented that certain uranium and transuranic compounds are bone seekers, and I encountered these in my job. I realize, however, that I am more fortunate than many of my former co-workers and friends, who have passed away from different types of cancers, respiratory problems, and other work related illnesses. After my surgery, I was forced to stop work and take a disability retirement.

Summary

DOE investigation reports show that workers have not been adequately protected from radiation exposure in many parts of the Portsmouth plant. This led to the ingestion of enriched uranium, fission products such as technetium-99, and transuranics such plutonium and neptunium. Exposure to heavy metals such as mercury, ingestion of highly corrosive chemicals such as uranium hexafluoride, and inhalation of asbestos and solvents have taken their toll, as well. Even though certain areas had very high levels, workers were not routinely tested for exposure to transuranic elements such as neptunium and plutonium until the 1990s. Radiation exposures were systematically undercounted, due to improper bioassay procedures, in vivo body counting techniques that could not detect transuranics, and failure to conduct extremity monitoring for 30 years. Even in 1990s, there is confirmed evidence of a worker having his radiation dose records "zeroed out" due to liability concerns, doses being arbitrarily assigned, and neutron doses never being monitored. DOE continues to be exempted from external regulation by agencies such as the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. DOE has functioned as a self-regulating enterprise, and this lack of accountability facilitated a well documented pattern of placing production ahead of safety.

If and when a worker gets cancer that could be considered work related, few will bother to file state worker compensation claims because the burdens of proof are nearly insurmountable, and admitting that an illness is occupationally related could jeopardize health insurance coverage for the costs of treating the occupational disease. Medical benefit plans uniformly exclude coverage for occupational illnesses and injuries. For those of us who were made ill, or suffered an untimely death, legislation is needed to cover 100% of medical costs, lost income or a lump sum payment. Nuclear workers were placed in harms way to help win the Cold War. A federal remedy is needed for harms created by the federal government. I hope your Committee will see to it that we are not left out in the Cold and that legislation will be enacted this year. At a minimum, such legislation should mirror that adopted by the Senate in the Defense Authorization Act at HR 5189. This will provide a building block for more comprehensive coverage in the future.

1. PORTSMOUTH FAILED TO PROVIDE WORKERS WITH ADEQUATE PROTECTION FROM RADIATION, HEAVY METALS & TOXIC CHEMICALS

In prosecuting the Nationīs cold war mission, workers were kept in the dark about the hazards they faced. Information was provided based on a "need to know" basis--and production imperatives determined what you needed to know. Breach of secrecy, even where safety was at issue, could result in the loss of a security clearance. Even to this day, we donīt know what we confronted. For example, when we started feeding irradiated recycled uranium back into the process system, we never knew we were introducing contaminants (e.g., technetium, plutonium, neptunium, etc.), nor were we adequately protected. Over 400 releases of uranium process gases or fluorine have been documented and many more went undocumented.

A. The Portsmouth Oxide Conversion Plant (705-e) Caused Massive Internal Radiation Doses

The Oxide conversion facility, which operated from 1957-1978, converted highly enriched uranium (HEU) oxides into feed material. This was considered one of the most hazardous operations at Portsmouth. Unacceptably high levels of radiation exposures were documented when the Oak Ridge Operations Office made one of its infrequent inspections to this plant, including high airborne contamination in the work areas, employees allowed to eat in the contaminated cold trap room, lack of respirator protection and increasing radiation lung burdens for chemical operators. A DOE reports notes:

"The operating contractor was aware of safety problems in X-705-E; however, production schedules were viewed as more important."

Health physics concerns prompted the contractor to install gloveboxes in 1967 to isolate workers from ingesting the fine uranium oxide powders, however, even these glove boxes failed to protect workers adequately, as the gloves deteriorated from exposure to corrosive fluorides. Airborne uranium contamination problems continued caused by the "burn through" of the fluorination tower, leaks from cold traps and product withdrawal and breaches into the system. Two workers were put on permanent work restriction due to ingestion of insoluble forms of uranium and had measured lung burdens over 50% of the allowable limits many years later.

A good friend of mine--Robert Elkins-worked in the X705-E oxide plant from 1962-65. By 1965 he was placed on permanent work restriction due to high internal body counts of radiation. He had enriched uranium, technetium-99, neptunium-237, potassium and cesium in his body. When he retired in 1985 he was still on permanent restriction. In the 15 years since his retirement, the plant management has never contacted him to check on his health or suggest that he be monitored after retirement.

However, the government didnīt ignore Mr. Elkins. He was contacted by an individual from Hanford (presumably the transuranium registry) who wanted to pay him $500 for his cadaver so the government could study what happened to the radiation in his body after he passed away. He wife was also offered $500. They both declined the offer. It appears that the government is more interested in what happens to Mr. Elkins after he is dead than what happens to him while he is still alive.

Mr. Elkinsī over exposures to radiation were not the exception, they were the rule. A 1985 DOE report states:

"the oxide conversion facility was not able to maintain adequate containment of the radioactive materials during operating periods."

"As such, the decision was made in the 1977 time frame to shut down that facility pending modifications to provide adequate containment measures. These modifications were never funded, and the facility has not operated since."

In vivo body counts (an insensitive method of measuring the amounts of radiation in the lung) taken after 1965 found eight employees with radiation counts above DOEīs 15 rem lung standard and two other employees had more than 7.5 rem (50% of the maximum permissible body burden). Since 1972, another 7 were found with more than 7.5 rem. Of the 17 employees listed above, 11 had worked in the oxide conversion facility, underscoring the point that workers in the oxide conversion facility were subjected to intolerable, if not barbaric working conditions.

B. Neutron Doses Were Not Measured Between 1954 and 1992

The Portsmouth plantīs radiation dosimetry programs were woefully inadequate. NIOSH discovered that between 1954 and 1992 the site never measured for neutron exposures. Worker dose records, consequently, do not exist for neutrons. "Slow cooker" effects from the concentration of uranium deposits in the cascade, as well as in uranium storage and feed operations results in chronic low level neutron exposures. Workers who were called in to clean-out "freeze ups" of uranium inside of the cascade would be particularly at risk. When high dose readings were found on badges, they were routinely determined to be equipment failures and summarily discarded.

C. Workers Ingested Technetium-99

Technetium-99 (Tc-99), a fission product, was introduced into the cascades beginning in 1955 from recycled uranium reactor tails, most which had been first processed at Paducah. Worker urine dose records from CY 1976, 1977 and 1978 indicate that 27% of the chemical operators at Portsmouth tested positive for Tc-99 (66% tested positive for uranium). In vivo lung monitoring established that 2 of the 45 maintenance mechanics had positive confirmed doses of Tc-99 to the lungs. Curiously, 563 mechanics were tested for uranium over a three year period, but only 45 were tested for Tc-99 or neptunium-237. Depending on whether the Tc-99 was in a vapor or solid form, special personal protective equipment (such as supplied air respirators) was required, but not provided until the early 1980s. One pregnant worker had a calculated dose 800 millirem to the fetal thyroid of her 10-11 week old fetus, providing further evidence of inadequate worker protection. Although workers were likely exposed to Tc-99, a beta emitter, beginning in 1955, DOE has found that workers were not monitored until 1975. In 1979, a Tc-99 release in the convertor maintenance area caused the internal contamination of six workers as high as five times the plant restriction levels.

D. Exposures to Neptunium and Plutonium were not Monitored or Disclosed Until The 1990s

At the production level, we were never told about or tested for exposure to plutonium, neptunium or other transuranics until the 1990s, even though recycled reactor were fed into the Portsmouth cascade beginning in 1955, and the AEC knew that the reactor "tails" at Paducah contained neptunium in 1957. It is disturbing that workers were not tested until 40 years after plant operations commenced. DOEīs own reports reveal that "transuranics were a special problem in 1965, 1966, 1975 and 1976 when recycled foreign reactor feed in the form of uranyl nitrate was converted to oxide in the calciner." A 1979 analysis of two cascade deposits revealed relative high concentration of neptunium-237 (55 and 60 percent of total alpha activity), however, DOE notes that there was no change in procedure to protect workers. Management was basing its radiation protection program on worker exposure to uranium even though the specific radioactivity of neptunium is 2000 times higher than depleted uranium.

E. Dose Records Have Been `Zeroedī Out Over Liability Concerns

A Senate Government Affairs hearing held in March 2000 confirmed that management directed that a guardīs radiation dose records be "zeroed" out after he had an uptake and was hospitalized, because of the concern that he would bring a worker comp claim. We have no idea if this was an isolated case or a regular management practice on the part of Lockheed; however a DOE report stated, "an internal Lockheed martin Utility Services investigation concluded improprieties may have existed in the Plantīs dosimetry program that resulted in the assignment of inaccurate exposures."

F. Radiation Doses Were Arbitrarily "Assigned" (Instead of Being Counted), and Significant Radiation Doses were Never Counted

OSHA was called into Portsmouth after complaints filed by OCAW and the Guards union disputed the accuracy of radiation doses. OSHA has jurisdiction over USEC, the government corporation that took over enrichment operations in 1993. Doses were administratively "assigned" when the health physics staff had trouble reading dose badges. One practice involved pinning a dose badge to the wall and running a scanner over it and assigning this dose to any person whose dose badge didnīt read out on a scanner. A settlement of this OSHA complaint resulted in a reconstruction of doses between 1993-1995. While management was generally conservative in assigning doses, at least 103 doses were undercounted. We have no idea how far back management was simply administratively "assigning" doses, instead of counting them.

Goodyear Atomic failed to perform any extremity monitoring for radiation exposure until the 1980s, even though operators handled valves with beta emissions as high as 1 rad/hour and feed production plant ash receiver areas had floor readings of 5/rad per hour beta. DOEīs investigators found that we were not tested in a timely fashion for uptakes of uranium during the 1950's and 1960's and concluded that "some uranium uptakes were likely not identified or properly investigated." Air sampling methods for radioactivity were also found deficient by DOE.

Con't to part 2 of 2--

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Message: 14
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Part 2 of 2---Congressional Testimony---Sam Ray---9-21-00

G. Workers Were Overexposed to Mercury, Arsenic, Fluorine and Trichloroethylene

Between 1981 and 1990, decontamination workers in the 705 building were exposed to mercury at up to 175 times the OSHA threshold limit values, largely from open vats of solvents. A 1990 DOE investigation found "workers were exposed at least once per shift, after sodium hydroxide was added tanks" and that Martin Mariettaīs plant doctor trivialized the hazards of ingesting mercury.

Arsenic contaminated feed was fed into the Portsmouth cascades in the late 1980's. Arsenic, which is a known carcinogen, migrated towards copper instrument lines causing them to plug up. Air samples detected arsenic in excess of OSHA limits. In 1993 inorganic arsenic was discovered, and the union subsequently requested a health hazard evaluation over concern that there were inadequate controls.

Fluorine gases from the fluorine plant stack were frequent and resulted in numerous complaints from workers in the area, especially during temperature inversions, fog, rain or when the vented gases are forced to ground level.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) was used as a degreaser and chiller. A 1986 special survey found levels of TCE in excess of the OSHA permissible levels in a process building (X-326).

H. Respiratory Protection Depended on WWII-Era Gas Masks for Many Years, Contamination Was Widespread and Vented to the Atmosphere

I worked at the Extended Range Product (ERP) station on and off for a number of years. On one occasion while connecting the production process into an empty cylinder, the copper tubing pigtail ruptured. Although I immediately valved off the system, the room was filled with a thick fog of uranium oxide gases. I donned an army assault mask for protection. After the all clear signal, management sent me to the hospital for urinalysis. Today, we know that you should wait for 3-4 hours to give the material time to get into your system before urinalysis. For that reason, my dose records from this accident is going to be suspect, at best.

Indeed, until the mid 1970's, our respirator protection consisted of World War II army assault masks. It was years later that we learned that these were not adequate to block radionuclides or toxic chemicals.

In the late 50īs and early 60īs, we had big layoffs. As a result, the preventative maintenance program went down hill, causing the equipment to not be properly maintained. Prior to this layoff, the lab handled all sampling equipment, and assured that there was <10 ppm uranium hexafluoride in the system--called a "negative"--prior to it being opened up for maintenance work.

Due to cutbacks, operators had to take over this work of the lab technicians, however, we were required to use a new system for testing that consisted of pulling a sample through a tube of salicylic acid (white powder). If the powder didnīt change color in three (3) minutes, then it was assumed the system was <10 ppm UF6. We now know this was never an approved method, and there was no research done on this approach. Consequently, we put maintenance workers in harm's way when we issued a hazardous work permit stating that system was safe to enter (<10 ppm UF6).

Process gases were routinely vented to the atmosphere to obtain "negatives" to prepare the cascade cells for maintenance. Records show 23,000 lbs of uranium and 27 curies of technetium-99 were released to the atmosphere, and many more releases went unrecorded because vent emissions were not continuously recorded until the mid 1980s.

I. Workers Were Kept in The Dark on Contamination Controls

Early on, we were told that the buildings would be so clean, we could eat off the floors. In reality, some eating areas became so contaminated that management had to build designated lunch rooms that were surveyed on a regular basis and kept clear (1980īs).

Due poor contamination control, certain buildings were becoming more contaminated. For example, leaks from the ERP station had spread contamination in the X-326 building. Compressors would malfunction and process gases (UF6) would leak to the atmosphere. On one occasion, it was so bad that it looked like a fog moving up the 1/2 mile long building. When I working as an instrument mechanic, I had to work in areas that I knew or suspected were contaminated. I often felt we should have radiation surveys to see if the area was contaminated, but at the time it was a hassle to get your supervisor to request a survey. Today, the story is different.

We have had many small releases which were never reported, as well as documented large releases. Inside of the withdrawal room we had a major release. There were green "icicles" hanging in the room from crystalized uranium Hexafluoride. Management had declined to install safety measures to prevent this release.

Goodyear Atomic issued a Health Physics Philosophy as a Guide for Housekeeping Problems in the Process Areas, which it distributed to all supervisors on August 27, 1962. While management assured workers there was no hazard at the uranium enrichment facility in Portsmouth, Ohio, it warned supervisors:

"We donīt expect or desire that the philosophy will be openly discussed with bargaining unit employees. Calculations of contamination indices should be handled by the General Foreman and kept as supervisional information in deciding the need for decontamination."

Until the 1980's, there were few or no personal radiation monitors (frisking devices). This technology was available, but apparently for DOE the cost outweighed the risk. In the 90īs, this all changed. In certain buildings and certain areas, you have to monitor clothing and shoes. Without a doubt, if we tried to operate today, as we did the first 25 to 30 years, NRC would have cited the plant for violations.

When I was hired in 1954, process operators were not allowed to wear coveralls or safety shoes. If clothing became contaminated, we took this contamination home with us on our clothing and shoes. To my knowledge, crafts (such as electricians, maintenance mechanics, etc) were allowed to wear coveralls and safety shoes. Sometime in the 60īs, coveralls became optional for process operators like myself; however, it wasnīt until the 90īs when contamination controls were implemented that coveralls became mandatory. In reality, they should have always been mandatory.

Current workers benefit greatly by the present safeguards in place. Primarily, the problem lies in the first 35 years. What were the former workers exposed to unknowingly or may be knowingly? We know that they are having many health problems, such as cancers, respiratory problems, etc. and in numbers far greater than would be expected.

2. INSPECTIONS WERE INFREQUENT UNDER DOEīS POLICY OF SELF REGULATION

A July 1980 Comptroller General report, Department of Energyīs Safety and Health Program for Enrichment Plant Workers Is Not Adequately Implemented (EMD-80-78), found that DOEīs Oak Ridge Office, which had oversight responsibility for health and safety, had not conducted a safety inspection at Portsmouth for 3 years and was not adequately responding to worker safety complaints. Unannounced safety inspections were supposed to occur annually at each plant, but even when they were inspected, the Oak Ridge Office "does not, as part of an inspection or any other visit to an enrichment plant, monitor for radiological contamination." Oak Ridge explained the absence of inspections on a staff shortage, which the Comptroller General noted was attributable to Oak Ridge paying safety inspectors at a lower grade than elsewhere in the DOE complex.

3. HEALTH EFFECTS ARE ON THE MINDS OF MANY CURRENT AND FORMER WORKERS

Currently, I am a retiree representative for the Worker Health Protection Program. Funded by DOE, this program gives former workers a one-time complete physical, and lung cancer screening will be added this fall. When I talk to former workers and retirees, I find out how little they knew about what they were exposed to. I get calls from widows whose husbands have passed away with cancers. They want to know if their spouseīs exposure in the workplace caused their illness.

In 1987 NIOSH reported that Portsmouth workers had experienced excess stomach cancer and hematopoietic cancers (including leukemia). In 1992, the study was updated, in part due to a request from Senator John Glenn. In 1996, the study summary was presented to the workforce. It indicated that there were no statistically significant elevations of any cancer deaths and the elevations of stomach and hematopoietic cancers identified in the 1987 study had diminished. These results were presented to the media in September 1999. However, the NIOSH officials releasing this information apparently chose to delete the page explaining the studyīs limitations Moreover these workers are protected by some other factors associated with their employment at this facility, such as lower alcohol and smoking rates as a consequence of their security clearance requires. This further complicates the interpretation of any harmful effects there might have been suffered.". We obtained the deleted text from another source. One of the key uncertainties is the fact that the population is still relatively young and that the poor quality of exposure data makes it difficult to establish cause and effect relationships. What motivated this apparent censorship is beyond our knowledge. What is clear is that the study is far from conclusive.

4. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR CONGRESS

# Congressmen Ed Whitfield and 23 others introduced HR 4398, a comprehensive bill that provides a federal worker compensation remedy for those exposed to radiation, beryllium and toxic chemicals at DOE nuclear facilities and suppliers. It stands out amongst other bills seeking compensation for radiation exposed workers because, unlike the Administrationīs bill (HR 3418), it expands coverage beyond the Paducah workforce and 55 workers in Oak Ridge to cover the entire DOE nuclear complex.

# HR 5189, which was introduced by Representative Mark Udall, covers radiation, beryllium and silicosis through a program administered by the Department of Labor. It is funded as "direct spending" and replicates Title 35 to the FY 2001 Defense Authorization Act (S.2549) that was adopted by the Senate is before the House-Senate Conference Committee. While Title 35 is not as comprehensive as HR 4398, Title 35 is a very, very important building block that addresses some of the most glaring problems confronted by nuclear workers in the worker compensation system. Allow me to be clear: this provision should be included in the House-Senate Conference Report. Waiting another year to take action--as some have suggested-- is not fair to those who are suffering today.

# Any successful bill must shift the burden of proof to the government in determining causation where the exposure data is missing or of poor quality, because the failure to properly monitor for radiation and toxic hazards unfairly imposes an insurmountable burden of proof on a victim. HR 5189 and Title 35 create a special category of workers at Portsmouth, Paducah and Oak Ridge K-25 sites where the dose data cannot be reconstructed to establish proof. Some types of dose estimation to compensate for missing data can be useful, but the threshold for establishing "proof" must take account of the wide errors inherent in even the best dose estimates. Good science relies upon good data. As NIOSH noted in a 1993 report, that "prior to 1981, the amount of quantitative industrial hygiene data is scant to non existent."

# A single agency, such as the Labor Departmentīs Office of Worker Compensation Programs, should administer a federal workers comp program. An ideal program provides one-stop shopping for addressing occupational illnesses regardless of whether it is beryllium, radiation, toxic chemicals or heavy metals. Shifting claims for toxic exposures to the states is ill-advised. HR 5189 and the Title 35 provide for a report to Congress by the GAO to evaluate whether state programs can be made to work in cooperation with an Office of Worker Advocacy with DOE. Again, we would prefer a comprehensive bill to be passed this year, but the approach provided in the Senate lays a foundation upon which Congress can build in the future.

# The current medical screening program carried out by DOE under Section 3162 of the FY 93 Defense Authorization Act should go even further, with lifetime annual medical screening, and fully paid medical insurance for displaced or retired workers. A Medigap supplement should be fully funded by the government for nuclear workers.

# Workers at Portsmouth and Paducah face a unique problem with retiree health care benefits. Since USEC was privatized, it has assumed responsibility for the Lockheed Martin retiree health care benefits program. However, these benefits could be in jeopardy if USEC, as many predict, will fall into bankruptcy or be liquidated in several years. Unlike pensions, retiree health care benefits are not guaranteed under ERISA. We need legislation to guarantee that the funds which the DOE has already transferred to USEC to cover the retire health care liability are placed in a safe harbor and these benefits will be delivered as intended.

SUMMARY

On January 29th of this year, the New York Times reported: "After decades of denial, the government is conceding that workers who helped make nuclear weapons ... were exposed to radiation and chemicals that produced cancer and early death." In the article, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said, "In the past, the role of government was to take a hike,....and I think that was wrong." Nuclear workers have paid a price and deserve a fair remedy. The Senate has passed a provision that would spend a portion of the budget surplus to help those made ill in the service to our national security. We urge your Committee to help make that provision become law this year.

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Message: 15
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Take the Mystery out of Your Misery -- Thyroid Ills and Knoxville doctor

Vim and Vigor
Fall 1999
http://www.vigormagazine.com/lib/Oth/Oth-Thyroid_Disease_fall99.htm</A>

Take the Mystery out of Your Misery Although its diagnosis can be elusive, a simple test can help detect thyroid disease By Elizabeth Farquhar

Before 1922, people who suffered from one of the more common forms of thyroid disease were easy to spot. As the cells in their thyroid glands expanded to capture the small amount of iodine in their diets, these patients developed lumps of tissue called goiters just above their collarbones.

The introduction of iodized salt has nearly eliminated goiters caused by diet deficiencies. But thyroid diseases are still around. They're just harder to detect.

The thyroid gland is a small butterfly-shaped structure that wraps around the windpipe below the voice box. Its job is to extract iodine from the blood and use it to make iodine-containing hormones. These hormones regulate the speed of metabolic function, heart rate and body temperature.

A thyroid that is overactive, or not active enough, can cause a wide range of sometimes misleading symptoms. If not treated in the early stages, thyroid disease can cause serious damage. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists estimates that about

8 million of us have some sort of thyroid problem, but only about half are diagnosed correctly.

Slow Going Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is the most common form of thyroid problem, afflicting 6 to 7 million people in this country alone. Yet its symptoms are so varied--fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance and absent-mindedness--that it is often mistaken for depression or aging. In fact, experts say that about half of those living with hypothyroidism don't know they have the condition.

But the word is gradually spreading. Donald Parker, M.D., a primary care physician at St. Mary's Health System in Knoxville, Tennessee, says that he sees one or two patients just about every day--most of them women--who request a test for thyroid function.

"They're looking for some reason other than diet and exercise for their weight control problem," he says. "They're hoping it's something they can fix with a pill." And, in fact, it's not such an unreasonable thought, because underactive thyroid occurs four times more often in women than in men, and can cause weight gain.

Parker also orders thyroid tests as part of a geriatric exam. Sometimes memory loss or dementia in seniors is caused by thyroid problems.

The answers come as the result of a blood test that measures the level of a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) produced by the pituitary gland. A high level of TSH is a sign that the pituitary, which produces TSH, senses a low level of thyroid hormones in the system and is working harder to stimulate the gland.

Most commonly, the cause is a condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis, in which the body's own immune system attacks the thyroid gland, reducing its ability to produce hormones. The most common treatment is hormone replacement therapy, usually a pill.

The Other Extreme The flip side of hypothyroidism is an overactive thyroid. The cause can be Grave's disease, a condition in which antibodies stimulate the thyroid to produce more hormones than needed. Grave's disease is inherited, but it affects seven times as many women as men. Thyroid overactivity can also be caused when lumps or nodules in the thyroid begin to overproduce for no apparent reason.

Either way, the symptoms are as wide-ranging as the warning signs for hypothyroidism: weight loss, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, sensitivity to heat and warm, moist skin. And the same blood test tells the story.

"When I suspect hyperthyroidism I always refer the patient to an endocrinologist," Parker says. "That's because the symptoms are sometimes associated with malignancy, or require treatment with radioactive iodine."

Upon Closer Inspection Despite concerns from healthcare providers over cost, experts are urging that thyroid testing become part of a routine checkup for adults. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore argue that the cost of administering the $50 test for thyroid function to all adults 35 and over would be offset by the savings resulting from early treatment. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends periodic screening of women over age 40.

Like most health issues, it helps to be your own advocate. Feeling sluggish and tired? Starting to forget your car keys a little too often? Are you gaining weight for no particular reason? Or losing weight in spite of eating more?

Maybe it's just the years catching up with you--or, then again, maybe it's your thyroid.

----

Maybe It Is, Maybe It Isn't
What does it mean when you're diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism?

You've just been to the doctor for your annual examination and he runs a blood test for thyroid function. You have no symptoms of thyroid disease, but the test comes back showing increased levels of thyroid-stimulating hormones (TSH) despite the fact that your thyroid is producing the right amount of hormones for your body. What's up? And do you need treatment?

This is called subclinical hypothyroidism--a condition also described as early-stage hypothyroidism. Typically a patient has few, if any, noticeable signs of the disorder other than the chemical evidence in his or her blood. The question is, should you be treated for it?

That's the controversy. Some doctors favor treating the condition, reasoning that hormone replacement at this early stage can forestall development of the full-blown disease and prevent the osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems and depression that sometimes grow out of subclinical thyroiditis. Other doctors are opposed, pointing out that sometimes the condition clears up on its own. Some doctors order a trial treatment period.

The debate underscores the importance of discussing a thyroid test with your doctor, especially if you are a woman over age 40.

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Message: 16
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Our Views: Time to bring close to sick worker issue

September 21, 2000
http://www.oakridger.com/

The White House and Energy Secretary Bill Richardson are correct to push Congress for a speedy resolution to the sick worker issue.

In a letter this week to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Floyd Spence (R-S.C.), Secretary Richardson has urged that a compensation program be approved for workers at federal nuclear facilities sickened on the job., including the K-25 uranium enrichment plant in Oak Ridge.

While we can understand the reservations by some House Republicans against the creation of another runaway and potentially costly entitlements program on par with, say, black lung for coal miners, there is the overriding push for a fair resolution to just claims of illnesses. And there is a clear need to bring closure to this matter, with so many of these workers getting up in years.

Yes, exacting medical procedures should be in place so that science, and not the plaintiff's bar, is the determining factor in compensation.

But there is little dispute that some workers have been made ill by their exposure in the nuclear plants. And there can be little dispute that the nation owes some compensation to those workers.

We have suggested before that all sides must be ready to show some movement, some compromise, on this issue. But before we can work toward even achieving any just compromise, Congress must be fully committed to seeing the fundament fairness to bring this matter to a close, and now.

Comments:

We can see where the ORer stands on health compensation, they want less than black lung levels.

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Message: 17
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Wamp speaking up for sick workers

September 21, 2000
by Paul Parson Oak Ridger staff
http://www.oakridger.com/

A House of Representatives subcommittee is scheduled today to hear testimony and consider a compensation plan for employees of federal nuclear facilities sickened on the job.

Speaking in Washington, D.C., before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims will be several House members and five sick workers -- Ann Orrick of Knoxville, Sam Ray of Lucasville, Ohio, Clara Harding of Paducah, Ky., Ray Slaughter of Las Vegas, Nev., and Pete Lopez of Amarillo, Texas.

The subcommittee's hearing will address legislation aimed at providing a federal compensation plan for workers exposed to beryllium and various radioactive and other substances as a result of their work at federal nuclear facilities. The bills to be discussed are H.R. 675, H.R. 3418, H.R. 3478, H.R. 3495, H.R. 4263 and H.R. 4398.

U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-3rd District, who will attend today's hearing, issued a statement highlighting what he plans to convey to the subcommittee.

"More than 10 years ago, we witnessed the end of a war unlike any ever seen in history, the Cold War," Wamp's statement says. "Costing billions of dollars and lasting almost half a century, this decade-long struggle ended when American democracy triumphed over communism. But that does not mean we did not endure severe casualties.

"In the heart of America, workers in Oak Ridge's Department of Energy facilities labored to boost this country's nuclear arsenal. Their loyalty and dedication played a significant role in the victory over tyranny. Working in sensitive areas exposed some of our workers to high levels of radiation and other harmful substances. Hundreds of employees at DOE sites have been diagnosed with a wide range of illnesses. A decade after the end of the Cold War, they suffer from debilitating health problems that have reduced their quality of life immeasurably.

"These men and women are 'soldiers' and 'veterans' of the Cold War. They deserve not only our respect, but care. Withholding support and neglecting their health needs would be a national travesty. I urge you to support a permanent worker's compensation benefits package that alleviates the burdens these Cold War warriors and their families endure on a daily basis."

More information on the bills to be discussed at today's hearing can obtained on the Internet at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c106query.html

Comments:
Wamp used to run from the sick workers to avoid addressing the issue.

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Message: 18
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

$165M OK'd for Melton Valley cleanup

September 21, 2000
by Paul Parson Oak Ridger staff
http://www.oakridger.com/

The Department of Energy will sign today a $165 million cleanup agreement for the Melton Valley Watershed.

The record of decision is a 14-year plan to clean up an area near Oak Ridge National Laboratory that is contaminated with radioactive and chemical wastes resulting from more than 50 years of production and research activities at the federal facility.

"It's really a mixed bag of projects," DOE spokesman Frank Juan said.

The record of decision outlines specific remediation measures based primarily on isolating and removing waste. These include, but are not limited to, plugging and capping all wells that have no future use; removing and backfilling impoundments; excavating various contaminated soil areas; removing contaminated flood plain sediments; and constructing signs, fences and other appropriate barriers.

"This decision represents a major step forward in cleanup of the Oak Ridge Reservation," Rod Nelson, DOE's assistant manager for environmental management, said in a media statement.

The record of decision was approved by DOE, the state Department of Environment and Conservation and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Once the environmental cleanup is completed, an evaluation will be conducted to determine if further action is needed.

The Melton Valley Watershed occupies approximately 1,000 acres in the southern portion of the ORNL grounds. It consists of 35 separate sub-basins, which drain together into White Oak Creek, flow into White Oak Lake and then over White Oak Dam to the Clinch River.

Portions of these sub-basins have been contaminated through historic waste disposal practices with a variety of wastes, including low level radioactive materials. Strontium-90, tritium and cesium-137 are the primary contaminants of concern in surface water leaving the watershed because of their potential adverse impact on human health and the environment.

The watershed was used as the Atomic Energy Commission's Southeastern Regional Burial Ground for radioactive wastes from more than 50 other facilities, including other national laboratories. AEC was a DOE predecessor agency.

Melton Valley's historic wastes are stored or buried in a assortment of locations, including trenches, landfills, tanks and impoundments.

Wastes at certain locations are leaching into groundwater, which can then flow into surface water. Leaks and spills from some historic sites have also contaminated soil and sediment.

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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Not all in agreement on K-25 water safety

September 21, 2000
http://www.oakridger.com/

Officials insisted Wednesday that tests on the drinking water at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site were conducted properly and that they are satisfied with the results, but at least one person vocally disagreed during the Department of Energy press conference.

"We're satisfied the water is safe to drink," said Earl Leming, director of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's DOE Oversight Division.

John Steward, a health and safety representative for the Paper, Allied-Industrial and Chemical Employees Union, added he is satisfied with the test results. He said he has talked with several K-25 workers, which PACE represents, who feel the same.

The water tests, which cost around $250,000, were conducted in early August after K-25 employees voiced concerns that cross-connecting water lines could have resulted in exposure to hazardous materials at the former gaseous diffusion plant.

However, several sick workers said they had a problem with the water tests because an independent agency did not conduct them.

When asked if he thought that the water tests were conducted independently of DOE, J.T. Howell, team leader for DOE's technical oversight division, answered yes.

"I think it was very independent," Howell said. He said that OMI, the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee's water plant contractor for K-25, conducted the tests.

Harry Williams, president of Coalition for a Healthy Environment, disagreed. He pointed out during the press conference that CROET, which is responsible for ensuring effective reindustrialization of the K-25 site, is funded by DOE.

Norman Mulvenon, chairman of the Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee's Citizen Advisory Panel, discussed two problems that occurred during the water tests. He said one set of samples was lost in transit while another succumbed to bacterial contamination.

The samples taken at K-25 were packed in ice for shipment to a state-certified laboratory. Mulvenon said the samples that had bacterial contamination were a result of a faulty packing procedure in which the ice melted and was mixed with the samples when they were opened.

In addition, Henry Huffman, project director for OMI, confirmed that one cross-connection has been discovered at K-25, but it was in an inactive area. He said an investigation into the cross-connection of visible pipes is 90 percent complete.

DOE spokesman Steven Wyatt told those attending the press conference that plans for Phase 2 of the K-25 water sampling will be announced soon. This phase will investigate past contamination problems at K-25.

Following the press conference, Williams, who says he suffers from illnesses related to his work at K-25, shared his views on the water tests.

"This is not the way we would have gone about it," Williams said. "That's why our sick worker representatives (Mike Russell and William Noe) left the first day. We had a real problem with the independence."

Williams added that while the Coalition for a Healthy Environment doesn't like to be an "in your face all the time" group with DOE, the organization will be watching Phase 2 very closely.

Several audience members, who did not belong to media affiliates, said they felt cheated because they were not given an opportunity to ask questions during the press conference. A public meeting on the current water tests is not planned, but DOE does intend to seek public involvement for Phase 2.

The K-25 water report can be accessed on the Internet at www.oakridge.doe.gov/newpages.html

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Message: 20
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Appalled by Wamp statement

http://www.oakridger.com/

To The Oak Ridger:

I was appalled to read in a recent article that in regard to Oak Ridge City Council's considering ways to approach DOE about making its financial arrangements with the city more equitable, Rep. Zach Wamp told City Council, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." In fact, I was so appalled that I went to Rep. Wamp's Web site that very evening and sent him a message. The next day, I called his office to confirm that the message had been received.

A few days later, my call was returned by Helen Hardin, who said she is Mr. Wamp's communications director. After talking to Ms. Hardin, I was even more upset. She was quite hostile and interrupted me at one point to say, "EXCUSE ME! EXCUSE ME! Don't put words in my mouth! I have enough trouble with that already." I wonder if this is how Ms. Hardin deals with Rep. Wamp's other constituents.

During my conversation with Ms. Hardin, she said Rep. Wamp's office had gathered some information which was made into a report that compared DOE sites in regard to the amount of money they receive from DOE, and this information was shared with City Council. However, when I asked her if I could get a copy of that information, she said I could not. She went on to say that this was Rep. Wamp's "internal information" and she didn't think it could be released.

If someone in Rep. Wamp's office created a report using taxpayer dollars, and that report (or at least the information contained in the report) was provided to Oak Ridge City Council and may have influenced City Council in deciding what to do about the issue of additional remuneration from DOE, then why do I not have a right to obtain that same information?

Ms. Hardin offered as explanation that the information is more than a year old and may no longer be current, that "you can't compare apples with oranges" in looking at the different kinds of monies/funding the DOE sites receive, etc. So, I asked, if the information is not good data, why was it provided to City Council?

I ended my conversation with Ms. Hardin by asking her to pass along to Rep. Wamp that I believe City Council is acting properly in exploring ways to offset the lack of land for industrial development, environmental contamination, sick workers, negative publicity, layoffs, accident at Y-12, etc., caused by DOE and detrimental to the financial health of Oak Ridge (not to mention to the workers, the public, and the environment).

I don't want City Council to bite the hand that feeds it, but I don't want City Council -- or Rep. Wamp -- to kiss the rear that poops on it, either.

Councilman Ray Evans seems to be especially sensitive to the issue of not being "combative" with DOE. I can't help but wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that Mr. Evans' employer (Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon) has one or more DOE contracts and/or subcontracts.

Further, I ask the citizens of Oak Ridge to consider the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

It is time for the citizens of Oak Ridge and our elected officials to stop worrying about being nice to DOE-ORO and demand that the U.S. government bear its fair share of the burden that DOE operations have placed on Oak Ridge.

Come to think of it, maybe Rep. Wamp and certain members of City Council should heed Rep. Wamp's advice and not bite the hand that feeds them -- only, they should remember that the hand that feeds them is the citizens of Oak Ridge, not DOE.

Pamela Gillis Watson 134 Jarrett Lane

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Message: 21
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

ORNL to participate in $4 million centrifuge research project

September 21, 2000
http://www.oakridger.com/

Oak Ridge National Laboratory will participate in a $4 million pilot project to refine centrifuge-based technology used in enriching uranium for nuclear reactor fuel.

The project with U.S. Enrichment Corp. could be the beginnings of another long-term research effort that would include construction of a new production facility, probably in Ohio.

USEC, which took over the nation's enrichment program from the Department of Energy a decade ago, already operates gaseous diffusion plants in Paducah, Ky., and Portsmouth, Ohio.

But because gaseous diffusion requires enormous amounts of electricity, there are plans to shut down the Ohio plant to pursue a more efficient method to enrich uranium.

DOE spent billions of dollars in the 1970s and '80s developing high-speed centrifuges to separate uranium isotopes, but the technology later was abandoned in favor of a laser-based technique.

USEC rejected this technique as unproven and now is interested in reviving centrifuge technology to enrich uranium in the future. ORNL engineers who worked on the earlier research project will be important to the pilot project.

USEC will refurbish a former centrifuge test facility at the K-25 plant, now known as the East Tennessee Technology Park, as part of the pilot project.

"Folks are looking at this as their second chance," said Ted Fox, director of ORNL's engineering technology division who will head the Oak Ridge work on the project.

------------

Message: 22
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Congresional Testimony on DOE Workers Compensation
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/6.htm

Committee on the Judiciary Hearing Testimony Presented to Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims Jurisdiction Oversight Plan

Legislative hearing on H.R. 675, H.R. 3418, H.R. 3478, H.R. 3495, H.R. 4263, and H.R. 4398, which all deal with compensation for beryllium-related illnesses -- September 21, 2000

Witness List, Honorable Lamar Smith, Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Senator George Voinovich, Congressman Paul Kanjorski, Congressman Marcy Kaptur, Congressman Ted Strickland, Congressman Ed Whitfield, Congressman Mark Udall, Congressman Zach Wamp, Congressman Tom Udall, Honorable Bill Richardson, Dr. David Michaels, Lisa Ledwidge, Steve Markowitz, Richard D. Miller, Ken Rosenman, Dan Guttman, Esquire, Lawrence Repsher, M.D., Donald Elisburg, Esquire, Ann Orrick, Sam Ray, Clara Harding, Ray Slaughter, Pete Lopez

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Message: 23
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Testimony begins in nuclear workers' hearing

September 21, 2000
By Benjamin Grove <grove@lasvegassun.com>
LAS VEGAS SUN
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2000/sep/21/510800722.html

WASHINGTON -- Miner Ray Slaughter of Las Vegas worked for 23 years hauling radiated rock away from nuclear bomb blast sites in the tunnels under the Nevada Test Site. Now it's time for the federal government to pay for the damage done to his ailing lungs, Slaughter was preparing to tell a congressional panel today.

"We'd go right in after the blast -- right after, days after," Slaughter said in an interview before his testimony. "We'd go right to ground-zero."

A House Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing today in an effort to determine how to compensate workers from all over the country who built and tested the nation's nuclear arsenal during the Cold War. Many of those workers became ill and often died because of cancers and other illnesses caused by working with beryllium and radiation.

"They have no regrets about the work they did," Energy Secretary Bill Richardson told the subcommittee today. "They only regret their government put them in harm's way without their knowledge and consent."

In April, Richardson for the first time admitted that the federal government put nuclear workers at risk and covered it up. He and President Clinton have urged Congress to compensate the workers.

Now it's up to a panel of House and Senate members to determine which workers to pay and how much money to offer them.

Nevada members in Congress are worried Nevada workers who developed silicosis from breathing dust in the Test Site tunnels will not be included in the agreement this year.

In her testimony, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., specifically reminded the subcommittee that silicosis victims should be included.

Nevada's delegation says Republican House leaders are reluctant to include silicosis victims. Today, a top DOE official told the subcommittee that even Clinton has not made a final determination on whether to compensate silicosis victims this year.

"I'm certainly hopeful that the members of the Judiciary Committee will hear the stories of these heroic workers ... and once they hear that testimony they will see the importance of passing this legislation," David Michaels, DOE Assistant Secretary of the Office of Environmental Safety and Health, told the Sun after the hearing.

Slaughter said he was diagnosed with silicosis in 1998. The condition made it harder for him to breathe. He gave up golf and bowling, he said.

"It's similar to cancer, it starts eating away at the tissue of the lungs, it's like glass grinding away up and and down," Slaughter said.

Slaughter said radiation safety teams went into the tunnels after nuclear detonations but always sent workers in to clear out the rock, with no equipment to protect them -- even to adequately protect their hearing.

"They said it was safe," Slaughter said.

Slaughter has fruitlessly turned to the state for compensation, he said.

"The fact is they know they didn't give us protection and when you go before the state they treat you like a criminal, like you are trying to steal something from them," Slaughter said.

Now Slaughter is counting on Congress.

"Everyone seems to be on our side," he said. "I just hope they don't take silicosis out, because that's where we got it. We never had it before we went to work at the Test Site."

---------

Message: 24
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Sick Nuke Workers Petition Congress

September 21, 2000
ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2000/sep/21/092100370.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nuclear plant workers brought a message Thursday to lawmakers considering help for people exposed to health-robbing levels of radiation: Hurry up, and don't be stingy.

"Many of us do not have time left on this Earth. We need your action now," Ann Orick of Knoxville, Tenn., said in remarks prepared for delivery at a House committee hearing Thursday.

While she and other sick workers waited to tell their stories to a House subcommittee, negotiations continued over whether to create a government compensation program, and how to pay workers employed at facilities that did work for the government.

Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the Judiciary Committee panel with jurisdiction over the issue, has previously indicated that he wanted more time to develop a compensation program rather than rush something through Congress that has to be fixed later.

However, he said, "No one disputes the need to provide appropriate compensation to these individuals."

Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Pa., whose district includes beryllium plant workers, urged Smith not to let the opportunity for immediate action slip away.

"We've studied this issue to death," he said. "We don't need to spend hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars to continue on this path."

The Energy Department recently reversed 50 years of federal policy by declaring that workers injured or killed by weapons-plant exposure be compensated. The agency had proposed minimum lump sum payments of $100,000.

The Senate earlier this year approved a minimum payment of $200,000, plus medical care, for workers suffering from beryllium disease, silicosis or radiation-caused cancer.

A revised estimate from the Congressional Budget Office said such a program could cost about $1 billion over five years.

Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio, said House and Senate negotiators were discussing a program that would provide no more than $100,000 per ailing worker, plus medical care.

"This is certainly not ideal," he said, adding that one thing under consideration is that workers would not be allowed to recover lost wages.

Lawmakers are deciding whether to add a compensation program to legislation authorizing spending for the Pentagon.

Dr. David Michaels, the Energy Department's top health official, said he thought Thursday's hearing could persuade conferees to enact a compensation program quickly.

"We spend $6 billion a year cleaning up the dirt around the nuclear weapons complex. We should be willing to spend a portion of that to take care of the workers we made sick," he said.

In his prepared testimony, Sam Ray of Lucasville, Ohio, a 40-year uranium enrichment plant employee, described working without protective clothing or radiation monitoring.

Enriching uranium for nuclear weapons was done in strict secrecy, and "workers were kept in the dark about the hazards they faced," said Ray, who suffers from a rare bone cancer and had his larynx removed.

"Even to this day, we don't know what we confronted," he said. "I hope your committee will see to it that we are not left out in the cold."

The sick workers said federal compensation is deserved because work on the federal government's bombs caused their diseases, and because state worker compensation programs haven't taken care of them.

In some cases, the diseases had a long latency period and by the time the workers were diagnosed, too many years had elapsed since exposure and they didn't meet the state qualifications.

In other cases, government contractors actively fought the workers' benefit claims, or record-keeping was lax, or secrecy concerns were cited to prevent the government from accurately documenting the substances workers were exposed to, and the amount of the exposures.

The Energy Department does not know how many of the 600,000 people who worked at weapons plants since World War II might have contracted beryllium diseases, silicosis or radiation-linked cancer, but officials there estimate that 4,000 would be eligible under the Senate-passed program.

----------

Message: 25
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

7 Nevada sites part of secret DOE work

September 21, 2000
By Mary Manning <manning@lasvegassun.com>
LAS VEGAS SUN
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2000/sep/21/510800729.html

Seven sites in Nevada may have been involved in secret research or production of the nuclear weapons arsenal in the 1950s and 1960s, new information released by the Department of Energy today reveals.

The sites were on a DOE list of 550 companies, research sites and places across the nation where government scientists may have secretly processed radioactive and toxic materials to build the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.

It is the first comprehensive list released by the government that includes commercial facilities, such as Titanium Metals, one of the seven Nevada sites. Many of the federal sites have been known for years.

Other Nevada sites included Nellis Air Force Base, the Nuclear Rocket Development Station at the Nevada Test Site, the Central Nevada Test Site north of Tonopah, the Shoal Test Site near Fallon, the University of Nevada, Reno and the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Reno Station.

The list was released today as a House hearing got under way on a bill that would compensate for the first time government weapons workers with diseases linked to exposure to radioactive and toxic materials. Workers at commercial facilities are not included in the compensation package.

A brief description of each site and its activities compiled from old Atomic Energy Commission and other federal records:

Titanium Metals Corp.: A six-month experiment on techniques for processing uranium was conducted at Timet under a subcontract with the National Lead Co., a prime government nuclear weapons contractor. In 1959 National Lead owned Titanium Metals Corp. of America, according to Bureau of Mine records. Low levels of radioactivity have been found in the ground water near the plant, but scientists who are charged with monitoring the area have not pinpointed a source. Timet uses rutile, an Australian ore that contains some low levels of uranium, to process the light, but strong, titanium metal.

The Nellis Air Force Base: The base's range, north of the Nevada Test Site, includes the Tonopah Test Range, which is used by DOE's Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., to test mechanics and delivery systems for nuclear weapons and other defense projects. The DOE contamination includes radioactive plutonium in the soils.

Nuclear Rocket Development Station: Located in the Nevada Test Site's Area 25, southeast of Yucca Mountain, the site was used for developing nuclear space engines in the 1960s. The DOE began digging in 1999 under pits where radioactive rocket parts were buried. The DOE found that total radiation in the area is about one-tenth of the average chest X-ray exposure, DOE spokeswoman Nancy Harkess said. DOE will decide in December how to remedy the site, she said.

The DOE and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration managed the station from the mid-1950s until President Nixon canceled nuclear-powered rocket research in 1972.

Central Nevada Test Site: Located 60 miles northeast of Tonopah, the site was where a nuclear device called Faultless exploded underground on Jan. 19, 1968, and helped scientists determine if seismic waves from weapons are different from those produced by earthquakes. The DOE is cleaning up chemical wastes left from drilling the test cavity.

Shoal Test Site: Project Shoal, about 30 miles southeast of Reno, was a site that hosted a 12-kiloton nuclear device blown up on Oct. 26, 1963, in a hole 1,211 feet deep. The experiment was conducted to find out if nuclear blast shock waves differed from seismic signals from an earthquake. The DOE has cleaned up the surface of the site, but ground water testing and monitoring just began in February 1999.

The University of Nevada, Reno's Mackey School of Mines: The university conducted developmental studies involving low-grade uranium ore and extracting metals for recovering uranium. Room 12 at the school was apparently the primary facility used in conducting the studies. Where the low-grade uranium ore went after study is unknown. No contamination was identified after a DOE team visited in the late 1970s.

U.S. Bureau of Mines, Reno: The extent of activities and radioactive or toxic materials at this site is unknown. The DOE is reexamining records at many of these sites. Officials said they are developing a plan to address worker safety and potential environmental problems at many of the sites.

As more information becomes available, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson said it will be posted on a public database created on the DOE's Web site: www.doe.gov.

---------

Message: 26
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

ORNL will head centrifuge-based reactor fuel project

September 21, 2000
By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel Oak Ridge bureau
http://www.knoxnews.com/business/15299.shtml

OAK RIDGE -- Oak Ridge National Laboratory will collaborate with the U.S. Enrichment Corp. to help refine a centrifuge-based technology to enrich uranium for nuclear reactor fuel. The Oak Ridge lab will provide the technical expertise for a one-year, $4 million pilot project, which could set the stage for longer research effort and eventual construction of a new production facility -- probably in Ohio.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced the research collaboration with USEC, which took over the nation's enrichment program from DOE a decade ago.

USEC currently operates gaseous diffusion plants at Paducah, Ky., and Portsmouth, Ohio, but there are plans to shut down the Ohio plant and pursue a more efficient, less costly method of enriching uranium. Gaseous diffusion requires enormous amounts of electricity.

DOE spent billions of dollars in the 1970s and '80s developing high-speed centrifuges as a method of separating uranium isotopes, but the technology was later abandoned in favor of a laser-based technique.

USEC rejected the laser technology as unproven and now is interested in reviving centrifuge technology as a future means of enriching uranium. ORNL is important to that effort because the lab staff includes engineers who worked on the earlier research project.

Ted Fox, director of ORNL's engineering technology division, will head the Oak Ridge work on the centrifuge project.

Noting Oak Ridge's previous role in the earlier centrifuge program, Fox said some lab engineers are euphoric about the renewed research effort.

"Folks are looking at this as their second chance," he said.

A former centrifuge test facility at the K-25 plant, now known as East Tennessee Technology Park, will be refurbished by USEC as part of the pilot project, the ORNL official said.

Fox said about a dozen Oak Ridge engineers will be working on centrifuge research and development, which will include redesign of components involved in the uranium-processing equipment.

The collaborative agreement takes effect Oct. 1, and about $1.6 million of the $4 million budget for 2001 will be spent at the Oak Ride lab, he said.

Frank Munger can be reached at 865-482-9213 or twig1@knoxnews.infi.net.

-----------

Message: 27
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2000 TESTIMONY OF ANN H. ORICK

http://www.house.gov/judiciary/orri0921.htm

Ill workers at K-25 Site in Oak Ridge, TN., have been 5 years seeking help on health issues. Health problems consist of neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, gastrointestinal, as well as bone and muscular problems. Pain and suffering has overtaken our lives. Trust in the United States Government disintegrated until recently when Sec. Of Energy Bill Richardson assumed the Department and assigned a staff to handle the serious health issues. Sen. Fred Thompson and the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs held a hearing in March of this year. A bill was unanimously voted on by the Senate to provide help to ill workers. It is not a perfect bill, but then, when can something so complicated as health issues for a secret work force, ever be perfect? It is, however, a good starting point, a good first step, and would help a lot of seriously ill people. Other illnesses, such as exposures to chemicals and toxic and hazardous wastes, could then be covered by a new bill, and should be top priority for Congressional leaders in their next session. To refuse the current bill is to kill the ill worker. Too much time has already passed. Serious illnesses and progressive diseases do not freeze in time...they simply proceed, usually at a rapid rate. Money should not be a concern. Congress constantly approves money for overseas projects from health to food to rebuilding war torn countries, but are hesitant to supply the health and food needs of America's silent hero's, the ill worker of the Government Nuclear Superfund Sites. Tests for such diseases as chronic beryllium disease cost thousands of dollars. Insurance doesn't want to pay these tests as they view these diseases as occupational. Due to disabilities, workers have lost their jobs which have resulted in lost wages, lost savings, and lost homes...all our life's work has gone up in a flash...a life that was dedicated to protecting this country, to guarantee the national defense and freedom that only the United States of America knows. Congress has a duty to do the right thing. This bill must be passed so that immediate help can be given to some people.

A second bill must be drafted to cover those illnesses caused by other exposures such as chemicals, and toxic and hazardous wastes. This bill must also be passed rapidly so that other ill workers can be helped. Congress must take the focus off money, and place it on the people. A price cannot be placed on a human life, especially one that has been dedicated to serving this country so that all people can live free.

WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF ANN H. ORICK, ILL FORMER WORKER FROM K-25 SITE, OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE

September 21, 2000

The Oak Ridge K-25 Site ill workers have been five (5) years this month in seeking help on health issues. These five years have been devastating as workers have become sicker, become inactive and disabled, resulting in lost jobs, lost wages, lost homes and lost lives. In seeking answers, we have discovered how our own American Government, in a race against time and other nations of the world to develop the atomic bomb, chose to keep secret the health hazards of the materials they were utilizing and the diseases and illnesses they were beginning to see their employees experience.

These past five years for us has been a nightmare of cruel and unusual punishment. We have been subjected to harassment, rude and harsh words and treatment by our own Government, but especially by the Government contractors who have managed the Oak Ridge Sites. Our trust in all parties totally dissolved as all attempts for a resolution failed before our eyes.

Five years, five long, hard years have passed and the pain and suffering have taken over the lives of the K-25 ill workers. We saw and heard from many who filled the shoes of top DOE officials and the office of Secretary of Energy, but none of these people ever followed through with or kept a promise until Bill Richardson took over the office as Energy Secretary, and we found him responding to our call with a personal visit to Oak Ridge. Within three months Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. David Michaels and staff were sent to Oak Ridge to continue discussions and hear each worker's personal plight.

Talks lasted until the morning hours, and have sparked numerous follow-up meetings and discussions with Dr. Michaels and staff. Due to the fact that finally someone in the Government has been true to their word by honoring our requests for meetings while allowing us to be completely honest and outspoken on the issues, some trust has begin to be reformed by the ill workers. Most importantly, however, is the fact that DOE has publicly admitted to making workers sick and want the Government to right a serious wrong by compensating ill workers and assisting with medical help. In March of this year, the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, chaired by Senator Fred Thompson, held a hearing on the issues. Oak Ridge ill workers had pleaded for a hearing on the issues all five years, and we felt that finally we had reached the ending point. In a few short weeks, a bill was unanimously voted on by the Senate to give help to ill Government workers. Our spirits soared as we saw progress being made. It wasn't a perfect bill, but then, when can something so complicated as health issues for a secret work force, ever be perfect? It was to us a great starting place, and would mean help now for a lot of people. Other illnesses could be expanded upon and added or included in time as new legislation or amendments, and as information is made available. We can have immediate help for some, and help for others in the near future.

But what we are hearing is quite disturbing.......that the House of Representatives doesn't want this bill to be voted on, and this committee doesn't want to "Rush" into anything....they want to postpone the vote so they can take their time to look at all the options. Well, Gentlemen, I am here to tell you that after five years we don't feel like anything is being rushed into. To remove this bill from vote is equal to cutting the heart out of the Oak Ridge sick workers, and the trust that has been built up by the Secretary of Energy and his staff will self-destruct before your very eyes, as workers will never believe you have any intentions of looking further at any bill for aiding them. Five years in the life of a disabled worker is sufficient time in anybody's book for creating and executing a plan of action. Every day now lost is a day less in the life of America's silent hero's. Many of us do not have time left on this earth.....we need your action now...this week...this very day.

We also hear about the money itself. Some think it's too much, some think we don't deserve anything at all, some say "Let's make it harder for them to qualify". We've already given our life......how much harder can you make it? And the money....what kind of price can you put on a human life? How can we say any amount is "too much"? The proposed $200,000 would not cover over 2 or 3 visits to a major lung hospital like National Jewish in Denver. These tests needed for lung diseases are very expensive, and a victim of Chronic Beryllium Disease would find this money completely gone after only making these few visits....so if anything, it's not enough, but for the purpose of passage of a first bill with good intent and immediate help for some very sick workers, it is a good bill.

It's amazing how little thought we give to dollar amounts when it comes to other issues, such as the recent pay raise Congress voted for itself. No one questioned the money involved in the long run, which is forever, or even on a short term basis. Neither did anyone want to "take a longer look at the proposal' or take time to "be sure" it was the correct bill to be voted on.....everyone just went right ahead and voted for Congress to have a pay raise. Sick workers haven't had a pay raise in 5 years.....remember, most lost their jobs and wages, and are now on disability and have been reduced to minimum incomes. No homes, No jobs, No wages, No health....NO HELP. Too much time, too little respect!

Congress has a way of spending money and much of the time the American people are left confused as to why. We see our Congress over and over bailing out some nation overseas....for instance, just recently we read where the U.S. was funding a program on Aids in Africa. While this is an important issue, why did Congress rush to Africa, and leave the American worker out in the cold? Money didn't seem to be an issue here either....and there has been money squandered on such frivolous things as the man who has received Government grant money for years to work on the project "How fast ketchup runs" and what brand is slower. He has actually made his living on this money. Then there are the money spenders like rebuilding entire cities and countries after a war, whether we were involved in that war or not.

Then there is this recent article in a Sunday paper where House leaders were considering to follow up on a $1.3 Billion aid package designed to help Colombia's military combat the narcotics tract with $99.5 million more...a Representative saw a "possible need" for additional help when he "accompanied President Clinton to Columbia on August 31st for the symbolic delivery of the first package. Republican Rep. Hastert "went down there and saw a need"....I believe if he would come to Oak Ridge he could also see a need, and it wouldn't have cost half so much as this bill and package or the trip to South America did!

I could go on and on....but I should not have to do so. Too much money...take more time...? You have a bill before you.....not a perfect bill, but a decent one. You have the opportunity to make a decision which will impact thousands of lives. You have the opportunity to actually do what you have been elected to do....serve the American people. I came here today to plead with you to go ahead immediately and pass this bill. You will have successfully made a difference in the lives of a disabled American worker, and you can go home at the end of the day and feel proud of what you have done, and that's a pride that only an American knows and feels about his Country and his fellow man. We felt that pride when we went to work each day to protect this country and helped to guarantee the national defense and freedom that only the United States of America knows, but our pride faded as we suffered the losses and tragedies we've suffered these past five years. Our hearts grew heavy with an overwhelming sadness as our nations leaders and elected officials turned their backs on us, and the illnesses overtook our lives. Lost and forgotten, left to die, not from an external war, but from an internal peace, a peace that we the workers, made for you.

You have a duty to do the right thing. You hold the key to whether this nation's ill worker has a future. Please let this bill pass through Congress with all the support you can muster, then take your time off, and come back in full force and write a second bill which will encompass other areas of worker illness such as chemical exposures, and exposures to toxic hazardous wastes, so that other workers can be covered, and in that second bill, address such issues as these Superfund Sites, and do something about them. You can start with placing a padlock on each gate of these Sites until these health issues are resolved. By doing so you will protect other workers and innocent people from becoming sick as we have.

You must take the focus off the money and place it on the people. You cannot put a price on a human life, especially one that's been as dedicated as ours have been. You must remember that each passing day is a day closer to death for most of these workers. You must act now, we have no time to wait.

Gentlemen, without a major surgical intervention which may or may not work, I am going to die soon. My stomach cavity has closed and I have no opening for my food to pass through. Doctors are surprised that I have lived this long. I have already had one major surgery for this problem. Doctors say my stomach looks like someone who has received radiation treatments for cancer, all burned, scarred up and ruined. It is most likely I got this dose of radiation while working at the K-25 Superfund Site. I have had 6 breast tumors. My eyes are affected...I have peripheral vision loss, cataracts, and glaucoma. My balance is severely affected. I walk with a cane and wear a brace on my right foot which has dropped 2" and causes me to fall. I have severe migraine headaches, and upon leaving the site in 1996 I had a severe rash (shown in these photographs) which took months to clear up. I have vocal chord dysfunction, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, and other problems.

My husband, who worked 27 years at the site, suffers from chronic beryllium disease as well as peripheral neuropathy and chemical neuropathy, which means he has damaged nerves from his brain into his right arm and leg from frontal/subcortial brain dysfunction and including some brain lesions, severe headaches, vocal chord dysfunction, and reactive airway disease. Many workers have these same illnesses. Oak Ridge, Tennessee deserves better. We burn hazardous waste and toxic materials on site in an incinerator from all other nuclear and superfund sites across this country, and it is admitted that no monitors are in existence to detect what is being emitted out of that stack.

We were the major site for the development of the bomb. That bomb was dropped and it destroyed a nation and its people. We have worked all these years in those same materials that was experimented with and used to make this bomb.....literally tons of it. We have gotten sick.

Please do what is right. Please sign this bill that the Senate and the Secretary of Energy and his staff, and the White House, support, and have worked so hard to produce. It is a good bill. It is a good first step....a good starting point. We need relief for as many workers as we can get, and we need it now. You are the deciding factor. You hold the lives of many people in your hands. Can you honestly turn away and reject us now. Please act today. Please come back from your recess and begin to work on a bill that would include those harmed by the chemicals and toxic wastes. We deserve a chance to live as much as anyone does.

Thank you for your time and the opportunity to represent the ill workers. I have done my best to convince you. I pray I did not fail.

Ann H. Orick 442 Fox Road Knoxville, TN

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Message: 28
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

1 of 2 -- Congressional testimony---Paducah Worker---Joe Harding Story
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/hard0921.htm

CLARA HARDING 202 IDLEWILD PADUCAH, KENTUCKY 270-443-9486

Before Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, Committee on the Judiciary U.S. House of Representatives September 21, 2000

9 A.M., 2226 Rayburn Washington, D.C. Curriculum Vitae of Clara Harding submitted pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 2(g)(4)

Regarding the occasion of her testimony Before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims, Committee on the Judiciary U.S. House of Representatives September 21, 2000 9 A.M., 2226 Rayburn Washington, D.C.

Clara Harding is a resident of Paducah, KY, having moved there in 1951 as a young married woman after her husband, the late Joe T. Harding, got a job working for Union Carbide Nuclear Division in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP). Mrs. Harding raised her two daughters, Martha and Clara Jo, working as an assistant to Dr. Curley, an oral surgeon to help make family ends meet when her husband's health deteriorated. She worked longer hours when he was abruptly terminated after 18 years of work by Carbide because of his illnesses. He was fired without insurance, disability or pension benefits.

For the next ten years, Mrs. Harding struggled to help her husband survive, watching his health decline rapidly, and finally losing him to stomach cancer in March, 1980. She has been a first-hand witness to Joe Harding's on-going struggle to bring to light the truth about the terrible conditions suffered by nuclear weapons workers throughout the country. She and their daughter, Martha Alls, carried on his fight after his death. Clara brought a state workers compensation case for widows benefits in 1983, only to have it dismissed 12 years later for failure to meet the statue of limitations. The order stated that for her to meet the filing deadline, under Kentucky law, she would have had to file her widows case five years before her husband died. In 1997, after fifteen years of legal battle, she settled her claim for a nuisance value of $12,000.

In September of 1999, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson, came to Paducah and presented her with the Secretary's Gold Medal, saying that she had put a face on the Cold War. Clara Harding continues to live alone in Paducah on a fixed income, babysitting and doing volunteer work in the community. She enjoys needlepoint and watching C-SPAN. She attends Broadway Church of Christ in Paducah.

SUMMARY OF TESTIMONY OF CLARA HARDING

Before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims,
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
September 21, 2000
9 A.M., 2226 Rayburn
Washington, D.C.

Clara Harding's testimony will cover her life with her late husband, Joe T. Harding, who worked at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky, before dying in 1980 of what he and she allege were work-related illnesses. Because of his disabilities and his "trouble-making" in reporting health and safety problems at the plant, Joe Harding was terminated by Union Carbide in 1971. Clara Harding will testify about her husband's subsequent fight for his life and his tireless exposition of DOE's cover-ups right up until the day of his death, including trips to meet the Secretary of Energy Charles Duncan in 1979, as well as her own meeting with Secretary of Energy Richardson in 1999. Her testimony will also detail her struggle after Joe Harding's death with the Department of Energy and Union Carbide, regarding a workers compensation widows benefits case she filed in 1983, as well as her feelings about the current proposed nuclear workers compensation legislation now before this Subcommittee.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OF CLARA HARDING
PURSUANT TO HOUSE RULE XI, CLAUSE 2(g)(4)
REGARDING THE OCCASION OF HER TESTIMONY

Before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims,
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
September 21, 2000
9 A.M., 2226 Rayburn
Washington, D.C.

Mrs. Clara Harding has never received a federal grant, contract or subcontract at any time in her life. She represents no entity except herself.

CLARA HARDING
202 IDLEWILD
PADUCAH, KENTUCKY
270-443-9486

Before
Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims,
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. House of Representatives
September 21, 2000
9 A.M., 2226 Rayburn
Washington, D.C.

Mr. Chairman and other honorable subcommittee members, I thank you for allowing me to speak today not only in memory of my husband, Joe Harding, but on behalf of all workers like him, and on behalf of all the surviving families who have experienced what we---my daughter, Martha, and I---have experienced. We need Congress to do the right thing, after putting it off for over forty years, and passing a law to compensate workers and their families who have been killed cell by cell, atom by atom, by work we were told was to further the national interest and protect all of our children from harm.

My name is Clara Harding and I lived in Paducah, Kentucky. I have lived there ever since 1952 when my husband got a job as a chemical operator working for Union Carbide in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. He did not know what was in store for him, and neither did I. He was so proud of getting a job like that, working for the government on such an important mission. He thought the work sounded big and fantastic. He was a very healthy, handsome man when he went to work for Carbide.

Within two years, Joe started having strange symptoms. He got sores on his legs which wouldn't heal, and which moved higher and higher on his body throughout his work years. He began to have stomach problems within a year of his starting work. He vomited a lot, earning the nickname "Joe Erp" and could eat very little. He first heard from a doctor in 1959 that his stomach problems were probably due to his work exposures to classified substances. You see, Joe could not tell me or his doctor what he was working with, although I guess everyone had a general idea of what "nuclear" meant. When Joe told his boss what the doctor had said, Joe said the boss called the doctor a "quack." Joe told me later he was so brainwashed by Carbide, he believed it. The training he got insinuated that Carbide "wrote the book" on radiation, and all of the information which he could tell us was comforting and reassuring. Still, I know this doctor quietly left town within a year or so. As long as he lived, no doctor would ever go on the record to say what might have caused his conditions, although they would speak candidly to us that it was likely work-related.

Joe was a hard worker, and continued on at the plant in spite of his worsening stomach problems. In 1961, he had 95% of his stomach removed, along with all of his duodenum and two feet of small intestines. The surgeon found no ulcers, just what he called a "strange rawness." His health continued to decline and he had to have expensive medicines and more and more treatment by specialists. Joe was also seeing what became an ever-growing list of coworkers begin dying of leukemia and cancers. Joe kept what he called a "death list" of these workers until he died (Attachment 1). We discovered this past year that the Company also kept a secret list of workers who had died of leukemia (Attachment 2).

In the next ten years, Joe continued to have sores on his body, including lip sores which were called highly unusual and pre-cancerous. He had what we called "fingernails" growing out of his palms and joints, which he kept clipped himself. His blood tests began coming back abnormal and he began having lung problems (Attachment 3). He also began earning the reputation at work of a "troublemaker" because he found too many things wrong and tried to report them so the problems could be corrected. He took too much time to double check radiation readings, and would not sign false reports just to make the records look good. One story he told me after they fired him was when his supervisor asked him to do a radiation reading in a certain spot, using some sort of instrument. He did so, and came back to report the detected levels. His supervisor said, "Well Joe, I think you must have read that wrong. Why don't you go back and do it again?" Joe did, but got the same levels. When he reported again, the supervisor again told him to "Try one more time." Joe understood finally what was being asked of him. Joe would not cooperate. He felt he was being pressured into quitting because he would try to do right, and noticed that all the hot, dirty work was thrown his way.

I also wonder whether he was treated this way because of the large amount of medical benefits Carbide had to pay out for him while he was working. It is really expensive to get medical care for serious illness, especially when the doctors and the company are pretending they don't know what is causing the problems. Of course, now I know that Carbide had all this money for workers benefits reimbursed to them by the Department of Energy.

In any event, Carbide terminated him when he was at his sickest, in early 1971. Joe had been warned by his doctor that this was coming, and the doctor told him that he considered Joe disabled from his knee alone, not to even mention all the other health problems he had. Joe had injured his knee in a fall from a truck in 1953, and it had gotten steadily worse, requiring surgeries and physical therapy through the years. The doctor told him in 1971 that he judged him to be totally 100% disabled if Carbide required Joe to do his regular work crawling around in all those pipes and valves, and sent a strongly worded letter to Carbide to that effect. A little later, the managers called Joe in to terminate him. Joe said if they would acknowledge his 100% disability he would take a medical retirement, and Carbide agreed. Joe would have had approximately $900 a month to live on, including his social security disability of about $200 a month, plus all medical insurance and life insurance premiums paid. All the papers were signed, and were sent to the corporate headquarters for what they told him was routine approval. After seven months, there was still no word from Carbide, and Joe had to do some very light work, sitting and fixing air conditioners, to help us make ends meet. Joe said that you can drop a man off in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and tell him that if he will be real still, some help will come in seven months. Even knowing that if he tries to swim, he won't get very far, and knowing that if he tries to swim, he won't get anything, nevertheless he will start swimming and swim until he dies. Joe had no choice but to swim. In another month or so, we heard from Carbide that they would not approve Joe's disability retirement, yet they would not hire him back! They just lied to him, pure and simple.

This left him at age 50 with no job, with a crippled knee, no stomach, bad lungs, anemia, plus incurable skin conditions. No way to get a job, no way to make a living, no income from Carbide or from Social Security, no way to pay medical expenses, no insurance and uninsurable. That is a pretty bleak picture for a man whose health has gone from perfect to rotten in 181/2 years in a Carbide death trap. Then they throw him in the trash pile with nothing when the best of him is used up, and grab other young men to do the same way. I can only imagine somebody made some money off this practice. It could be that the reason this compensation bill seem so high is because the costs have been built up for quite a while, with the government appearing to have no costs for what they have done, and it has now come due.

con't to part 2-----

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Message: 28
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

2 of 2 -- Congressional testimony---Paducah Worker---Joe Harding Story

Con't from part 1

After Joe was fired, I continued to work even more. Joe filed a workers compensation case to try to get some of his medical expenses covered. It took until May of 1973 to get the case to court. He and his attorney went into the courtroom and there was a plant attorney, a plant doctor, a Paducah attorney hired by Carbide, my last supervisor, and at least ten Carbide people from Oak Ridge, including attorneys, doctors, and officials--all together, fourteen. After a huddle with the attorneys, the Judge announced that Carbide needed more time to prepare. In the end, the Judge dismissed the case without prejudice to bring it again. After a few weeks, Joe's attorney withdrew, saying a law partner had died and he was covered up. Joe used to tell me that fighting Carbide and DOE was like fighting a tiger with a toothpick in its own den. It is true that no worker I knew of ever won their workers compensation case. We have heard of some being settled out of court, in exchange for a vow of silence. After Joe's case was dismissed, Paducah workers knew better than to even try to sue.

Joe became sicker and realized that he had to get this story out to the American public some how, some day. By this time, on top of all his other health problems, he had toe-nails growing under the arches of his feet, coming out of his ankle bones, and coming out of his knee caps. As I described earlier, he continued to have fingernails growing through his fingers and thumbs and coming out on the balls of his fingers where his fingerprints were. They also grew out of his knuckle joints, wrists, and elbows. He tried to keep them clipped and then bandaged them up, they were so sore. He was still keeping track of his coworkers who were dying of cancer, heart attack at a young age, and other diseases.

He began to have tremors in 1978 which got progressively worse. More and more coworkers were dying of cancer. This was a relatively small group of workers who had all hired on together in 1952 when the plant first opened. We knew everyone. The children of these workers died too, just like our own youngest daughter died of a strange ulcerated stomach condition in 1976 at age 32, leaving us to raise her 8 year old son. There is not that much difference between the worker and the family when the worker comes home with plant dust all over him, and the family lives and plays near the plant.

Around the time of the Three-Mile Island incident, Joe decided that his story had to come out to the public. Joe was a very smart man, and had an amazing recall, as well as being very attentive to detail and documents. He kept every check he ever wrote, even every report card he ever got in school. He began gathering information and making calls. Joe began talking into a tape player in 1979. Before he died in March, 1980---in fact up to the night before he died--he recorded his story, talking well over 16 hours jam-packed with information. I would be happy to provide the Subcommittee with a copy of the transcript. A Swedish film crew was in the process of interviewing him on camera just before he died. They came to the house to continue the interview and found out Joe had died in the night.

He wanted to get in touch with the news media, newspapers, radio, TV and get this dirty story to all the American public because he believed that they would care about what had happened and be horrified by it, just like us. He told me, "Let's spearhead this and demand justice and fair recompense for our suffering." He called on all decent, serious and thoughtful American citizens to put pressure on all our Senators and Representatives to keep the ball rolling and have some true investigations. He did not want these crimes to continue. Some people in Paducah thought he was a kook or anti-nuclear, just because he would dare to talk against Carbide and DOE. They were afraid because they knew Joe was telling the truth, but they also knew their security badges could be pulled and they would be out of a job if they ever spoke up.

He made contact with the Department of Energy, which had just been created by President Jimmy Carter, and which had all the records of accidents and exposures at all the plants. He also contacted a family in Nashville, Tennessee, the Honickers, who helped us with getting more information from the government, and helped to introduce Joe to others who had been exposed working in the nuclear plants, or serving in the military and having to watch nuclear bombs explode or fly airplanes through the mushroom clouds, or exposed by just having been little kids playing in the fallout from bomb test, which looked like summer snow. Letters began to come in, from sick workers, from widows. Joe began writing Freedom of Information requests to the DOE in Oak Ridge. He wrote to the Governor of Kentucky (Attachment 4) and the Kentucky Department of Environment (Attachment 5) , warning them they better look into the Paducah plant and see what was going on. All these letters were written by hand and while Joe was in great pain. Yet, in a way, I feel that doing this kept him alive longer than he would have lived if he had just lain down and given up.

In one of the letters to DOE, he said:

"I feel sure the Lawmakers who enacted the Atomic Energy Act, with its provisions for security and secrecy, intended for the security rules to be used to safeguard our Atomic Energy knowledge, materials, methods, processes, equipment...from Foreign Countries and potential enemies, but they did not intend for the corporations operating the Atomic Energy Facilities, the AEC, Security, or the FBI to use these security provisions as a cloak behind which to hide personal work records, medical records, termination records, and working conditions, radiation hazards and exposures and any other plant records concerning employees." (Attachment 6)

Twice in the fall of 1979, Joe and I went to Washington, despite his recurring pneumonia. We met with DOE officials in Washington, DC, at the Forrestal Building to discuss Joe's disclosures about the plant and his own health. We had help from other victims of DOE's operations and their advocates, along with some ethical DOE employees like Tina Hobson, Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs. Joe would always say, "I only have one story, the truth, so I have no fear of telling it to everyone." Joe had hours of meetings with DOE officials, and met with Secretary Charles Duncan (Attachments 7, 8, and 9).

We had faith in the DOE's intentions at first. They discussed how to investigate what he was telling them about all the cancer deaths at the Paducah plant, and the shoddy safety and health practices which put the lives of workers and the public at risk. The investigation was to address both the adequacy of the radiation safety practices at the Paducah plant between 1952 and 1971, the years Joe worked there, and whether or not Joe's medical conditions were related to the radiation he was exposed to. This investigation went on with my cooperation after Joe died.

As far as I could tell, the investigation into the Plant was unimportant to them. If it had been important, they could have found the problems uncovered in 1999 back in 1979. It soon became clear to me that the most important thing for DOE was to "prove" that Joe was not harmed by radiation. DOE figured that Joe had been exposed, over his entire 18 1/2 years of work, to 4.95 rem of radiation. This is less than workers are allowed in one year of work. The "proof" was in his exposure records, which showed how year after year, he was exposed to nothing whatsoever at the Paducah plant.

I carried on this fight, with my toothpick, after Joe's death. My husband died on March 1, 1980, after having been diagnosed less than two months before with a massive inoperable cancer of the stomach (Attachment 10). Of his ninety pounds, at least a third of it must have been cancer. Joe was closed up and allowed to come home to die. His death certificate stated that he had died of heart failure.

In 1983, my attorney, Robert Hager, filed a workers compensation case on my behalf. I allowed my husband's body to be exhumed so that some of his bones could be analyzed for uranium found at the Paducah plant. The analysis was done at a Canadian lab with no ties to DOE. The report on his bones done by a respected and independent physician (Attachment 11), stated that he had from 1700 to 34,000 times the expected concentration of uranium in human bones. The normal concentration results in an annual dose of 18 millirems, while the amount in my husband's bones gave him a dose of 30 rems to 600 rems per year from uranium alone. Now I know, after all the publicity, that he was also exposed to plutonium and neptunium, as well as many chemicals including highly toxic fluoride and chloride compounds. My husband tried to warn DOE and other workers about what was happening at that plant but no one listened. If they had, maybe not as many would be sick or dead now.

All through the twelve years the company fought my claim, it felt like they were mostly fighting a public relations battle. My husband had, by the time of his death, become well-known. If DOE had admitted the problem, they would have had to admit tremendous liability overall, as much as they have admitted this past year. Only twenty years ago, they just weren't ready to do that, I suppose. Instead of just letting Union Carbide fight the battle, which would have been bad enough, DOE got their own attorney, Mr. Jake Chavez from Albuquerque, on the case. He came to all the proceedings and signed his name to all the legal papers. I was told that Mr. Chavez specialized in fighting people who claimed to be hurt from DOE operations, and that he had a huge file of material out in Albuquerque which he used to fight all the claims. Normally the DOE lawyers don't reveal themselves but just stay in the background. This DOE attorney took over the case in my workers compensation case. It makes me wonder how much DOE spent to win this case. All I could have gotten was $50,000 if I had won everything. It makes sense when you know that DOE pays all the legal expenses and all losses of companies who work for them like Carbide (Attachment 12). I have been told that the amount of legal paperwork in my case, if we stacked it up, would be 51/2 feet high, taller than me. I have a CD-Rom of the complete record if the Subcommittee would like to see it.

At the end of twelve years, the Kentucky Workers Compensation Board ruled that I filed my widow's claim too late. They said that I would have had to file my case five years before my husband died, five years before we knew he had cancer. My attorney appealed the decision, but the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld it. My case finally settled in 1997 for $12,000 because the company and DOE thought it would be a nuisance to fight the appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court. My lawyers did not take any of it, except $2000 to cover some of the expenses. So I ended up with $10,000 after 15 years of legal battles.

Please try to imagine yourself in the survivors' place, knowing our government is using every resource at its disposal to do everything that they can to deny you justice. As a matter of fact, while Congress and even the Secretary sincerely apologize, the DOE and Department of Justice lawyers continue to scorch the earth in denying us any kind of realistic, well-deserved relief.

The best bill you could write would include a way to add to the list of compensable diseases. I think it is clear by now, the government has done its medical studies in secret and have only communicated what will help them in a lawsuit. Physicians and medical researchers simply do not know all the ways their patients can become sick if we are exposed to these toxic materials.

Mr. Chairman, for a decade now, we have heard that the Cold War is over and that we won. How can we say we as a nation have won unless those wounded in the battle are given the respect they deserve?

For his long battle for workers health, and twenty years after his death, my husband was finally called a Cold War Hero, after being called nearly every name in the book by those who fought him. Just last year, I was given a gold medal and a kiss on the cheek by the Clinton Administration for "putting a human face on the Cold War" as Secretary Richardson said. Mr. Chairman, I would gladly trade that gold medal for the best compensation bill this honorable Congress can create.

Attachments

Joe Harding's death list Union Carbide secret list of Paducah workers with leukemia Joe Harding's medical/work chronology Letter from Harding to Governor Carroll of Kentucky, 7/17/79 Letter from Harding to Kentucky Department of the Environment Letter from Harding to DOE Oak Ridge Operations FOIA Officer, Wayne Range, from Joe Harding, 8/25/79 Memo dated 1/7/80, "Meeting with Mr. Joe Harding, Former Employee, Union Carbide Corporation"; Memo dated 1/16/80, "Review of Activities Concerning Mr. Joseph T. Harding; Letter to Clara Harding from DOE Tina Hobson, dated 1/16/80; Memo dated 2/22/80, "Follow Up on Joe Harding complaint". Joe Harding's final medical records, January, 1980 Report on Joe Harding's bone analysis, 1983 Excerpt from "Our Own Worst Enemy", chapter 6, pp. 140-141, on AEC medical-legal strategy Also included for the Committee Files: oTranscript of Joe Harding's 16 hours of audiotape, telling his story oDOE Report, "Investigation of the Radiological Safety Concerns and Medical History of the late Joseph T. Harding, Former Employee of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant," March, 1981.

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Message: 30
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Congressional Hearings-----Statement of Ray O. Slaughter
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/slau0921.htm

Statement of Ray O. Slaughter
Before the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims
of the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
September 21, 2000

Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, my name is Ray Slaughter and I have silicosis. It is a lung disease that affects my ability to breathe normally and will, in all likelihood, substantially shorten my life. I am here before you today as a representative of all the men and women who have contracted silicosis as a result of their work at Department of Energy facilities during the Cold War.

I was diagnosed with this disease two years ago by doctors from the University of Boston and the University of San Francisco. It was caused by inhaling dust fibers while digging tunnels for the testing of nuclear weapons.

Between 1958 and 1971, I worked at the Nevada Test Site off and on for many years. The contractor for the United States Government at that facility was Reynolds Electric and Engineering Company (REECO).

I started as a miner and then worked as an operator of a mucking machine. Like most of my colleagues, I was attracted to the job at the Test Site by the prospect of stable employment, good income and job security. We were also attracted by the fact that our work was critical to our countryīs defense and the collective well-being of all or our citizens. We were proud to play a role in helping our country win the Cold War.

To give you a little understanding of what work at the Test Site involved, let me give you a brief description. We bore tunnels under the earth where the Government conducted tests on - and detonated - nuclear devices. In Area 15, where I worked, we tunneled down 12 to 1400 feet, and then would tunnel horizontally from a "station." The work involved drilling and blasting in the direction of the dig, barring the tunnel to prevent cave-ins or collapses, wetting the loose debris, and removing the muck.

Unlike other mining operations I have worked in, at the Test Site no respirator protection was provided. The dust was so thick, you couldnīt see your hand in front of your face. Whether to save costs or water, the company seldom wet the debris down enough to keep dust levels tolerable. We were under tremendous pressure to hurry, and hurry even faster.

As soon as we got off the elevator going down into the mine, we would get an immediate headache caused by the dust, smoke and gases that we were breathing. They kept a quart jar of aspirin at the station and we would take 6 or 7 tablets at a time, several times each shift. The only way we could survive down there was by taking the aspirin. The quart jar was replaced on a daily basis.

After a test was conducted, we would go into our "recovery" dig. We would drive a tunnel into the area of the test and, on top of the usual exposure to dust, smoke and gases, we would accumulate radiation doses and work in hot conditions. The amount of exposure was so high that workers were only allowed to work a total of three days there for the entire year. After working the three days, we were then sent back to our regular work assignments. However, some workers were afraid of being laid off and would purposely remove their film badges to return and continue the work.

One night coming back from working in the tunnels something happened. They never did tell us what happened if there was a radiation leak or not, but on the company bus ride back from the Test Site at Area 12, they made us all get off the bus and shower in the open air. They gave us beer to drink and told us it would hopefully wash out any radiation from our bodies. A lot of those guys are dead now.

We knew of the importance of this work but were never informed of the long-term risks to our own health. For some the risk might be cancer from radiation, for others it might be silicosis, or chronic beryllium disease, and for others still it might be a combination of two or more of these deadly illnesses. This much is sure - the quality and length of our lives has been irrevocably changed. For me, my activity level has been reduced significantly and I have to rest a lot. Thereīs no known treatment for what I am going through except for using oxygen during the latter stages of the illness.

It is clear now, from records that have been discovered and released, that Reynolds Electric and Engineering Company clearly knew of the risks we faced. The company even knew that some workers had contracted diseases but remained silent about it. They chose instead to allow these workers to go back into the tunnels and be subject to further exposures.

I went to work for REECO at the Test Site about the same time as my cousin, David Eddards, and my best friend, Henry Peluaga. All three of us underwent periodic medical tests by physicians hired by and under the direction of REECO. It wasnīt until we underwent the screening in 1998, by the doctors from Boston and San Francisco Universities, that we were given access to our medical records from those REECO tests. My cousin David discovered in 1998 that REECO knew that he had silicosis some thirty years ago but never told him about it. I have documentation of this here with me. Today, all three of us know we have the disease.

I belong to a retiree group that meets each month for breakfast. There is hardly a month that goes by where we donīt learn of another colleague who has been diagnosed with an illness we know is related to our work. You can tell when someoneīs illness is getting worse because they come to the breakfast wheeling an oxygen tank. There is hardly a month that goes by where we donīt find that another of our group is in the hospital or has died.

I canīt emphasize enough the immense frustration and despair felt by those of us who worked on these projects. Many of us, like myself, have to seek medical care from the Veterans Administration for our illnesses. Some try to get coverage under Medicare. In almost all cases there have been substantial costs that we, or our families, have borne. Some have come close to or have exhausted their life savings. Most of us have chosen not to file workersī compensation claims in Nevada because of direct experience with being denied with previous claims or being ignored when we tried. We all know of other workers who have been treated poorly by the state system.

The problems that I have described today are not new or unknown to you. I am here today because the Congress finally has a chance to reach out to help my brothers and sisters who toiled at great personal risk and sacrifice to make this world safer for all of us.

I congratulate Secretary Richardson and the Department of Energy for finally admitting the responsibility of the Federal Government to the workers who took these risks and made these sacrifices.

I congratulate the members of the Senate who have put together the legislation that addresses this problem - particularly my friends Harry Reid and Dick Bryan. I also thank Representatives Shelley Berkley and Jim Gibbons for their efforts to get this through the House.

I hope this committee will step-up to the plate and support the Thompson-Bingaman Amendment.

Thank you.

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Message: 31
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Congresional Hearings---Dr Steven Markowitz---Queens College
http://www.house.gov/judiciary/mark0921.htm

Hearing on Compensation for Work-Related Diseases for
Department of Energy Workers
Committee on the Judiciary
Subcommittee of Immigration and Claims
United States House of Representatives
Testimony of Steven B. Markowitz, M.D.
Center for the Biology of Natural Systems
Queens College
Flushing, N.Y. 11367
Telephone: 718-670-4184
September 21, 2000

My name is Steven Markowitz, MD. I am a physician specializing in occupational medicine, that is, identifying and reducing workplace exposures that impair or threaten human health. After receiving my undergraduate degree from Yale University and my medical degree from Columbia University, I completed five years of training in internal medicine and occupational medicine in New York City. I had the excellent fortune of training under the late Dr. Irving Selikoff, the noted asbestos researcher at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. I currently serve as Professor and Director of the Center for the Biology of Natural Systems of Queens College and Adjunct Professor of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, both in New York City.

My research interests center on the surveillance and identification of occupational and environmental disease. I co-authored a book entitled Costs of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses that was published this month by the University of Michigan press. It was based on a study commissioned by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health concerning the extent and costs of occupational disease and injury in the United States.

I thank you for the opportunity to speak before this committee today. I wish briefly to highlight two central problems in occupational health at the gaseous diffusion plants of the Department of Energy (DOE), at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Portsmouth, Ohio; and Paducah, Kentucky. Furthermore, I will discuss our response to those problems through the initiation of the Worker Health Protection Program. I will start first with our response and then briefly elucidate the core problems.

A. The Worker Health Protection Program

In 1996, we initiated the Worker Health Protection Program (WHPP) at the three Department of Energy gaseous diffusion plants. It is a medical screening and education program established as collaboration between Queens College of the City University of New York and the Paper Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy (PACE) International Union with the full cooperation of the employers at the plants. This program developed as a result of Congressional passage of Section 3162 of the National Reauthorization Defense Act of 1993. Section 3162 required that the Department of Energy to conduct a medical surveillance program for former DOE workers who a) were at significant risk for work-related illness as a result of prior occupational exposures at DOE facilities, and b) would benefit from early medical intervention to alter the course of those work-related illnesses. We received a contract from the DOE through a competitive, merit-based review process and conducted a careful needs assessment and planning process. We then instituted the Worker Health Protection Program at the three gaseous diffusion plants in Paducah, Portsmouth, and Oak Ridge as well as the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

The goal of the Worker Health Protection Program is to detect selected work-related illnesses at an early stage when medical intervention can be helpful. At a broader level, the goal of our program is to help former DOE workers understand whether they have had exposures in the past that might threaten their health and to ascertain whether, in fact, an injury has resulted from these exposures. For the first time, former workers of the DOE gaseous diffusion plants have the opportunity to obtain an independent, objective assessment of their health in relation to their prior workplace exposures by a physician who is expert in occupational medicine. We screen for chronic lung diseases, such as asbestosis and emphysema, hearing loss, and kidney and liver disease. We have not heretofore emphasized cancer screening, because the screening tests available to date for the principal cancers of concern have been inadequate, and because the gaseous diffusion plants were historically been considered sites of high radiation exposure. We implement the program based on a common medical protocol through local clinical facilities in Oak Ridge, Portsmouth and Paducah. This is not a research activity, but a clinical service program, intended to be of direct and immediate benefit to participants.

In addition, we provide a two hour educational workshop during which former DOE workers have the opportunity to learn about past exposures and their possible impact on present health. These workshops are run by current and former DOE workers, because they have credibility and expertise. We also believe that a participatory model of education is in and of itself health-promoting. The direct and full involvement of current and former DOE workers in designing and conducting our program has been a key to its success.

B. Results of the Worker Health Protection Program

The Worker Health Protection Program has received an outstanding response from former gaseous diffusion plant workers. Since beginning the screening program only 17 months ago, we have received nearly 3,000 telephone calls from former and current workers to our national toll-free number to request participation in the Worker Health Protection Program. We have medically evaluated approximately 1,800 former gaseous diffusion plant workers during the past 17 months. All of these participants volunteered for the screening program. We have not publicized our program, except for a single initial press conference in each community. We have not conducted any significant outreach, nor have we pro-actively invited individual workers for screening. Yet, thousands of gaseous diffusion plant workers have called us to ask to participate.

Why have we received such a positive response? Without question, the newspaper coverage of the contamination of the Portsmouth and Paducah gaseous diffusion facilities by transuranic materials has helped. More fundamentally, though, the chord that we have struck relates to our mission. Workers in the Department of Energy complex want an answer to a simple set of questions: Have my years of work for the Department of Energy affected my health? Has my exposure to radiation and chemicals at the gaseous diffusion plant, which I performed as a service to my country, caused any illness or injury that I might have? If so, what can I do about this illness or injury? This is a simple yet powerful set of questions, and they deserve a truthful and appropriate response.

Our Worker Health Protection Program is beginning to provide a response to these questions. We have results available for report on 1,317 former gaseous diffusion workers in total at the three sites, Paducah, Portsmouth, and Oak Ridge. Approximately 10% of participants show scarring of the chest that is consistent with significant occupational exposure to asbestos. Approximately 20% of former gaseous diffusion plant workers have chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema, to which their exposure to hydrofluoric acid and other powerful lung irritants in the gaseous diffusion process played a significant contributing role. Fifteen of the first 544 former Oak Ridge K-25 workers, or 3%, have confirmed beryllium sensitivity based on repeat lymphocyte proliferation testing. Fifty of these 544 workers (9.2%) had an initial positive beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test. There is a very high rate of hearing loss, mostly moderate or severe, which is hardly surprising, given high occupational noise levels at the gaseous diffusion plants. We have seen minimal rates of clinically significant kidney and liver disease among the workers tested to date, and most appears to be readily explained by the presence of other disease such as hypertension or diabetes.

In addition, the educational arm of our program has also been enormously successful. Our current and former worker educational coordinators have conducted more than 80 two hour workshops in 17 months, through which over 1,000 former workers actively participated.

It is essential to understand that the Worker Health Protection Program is not a comprehensive screening program for all potentially work-related conditions of former DOE workers. Section 3162, which established the Former Worker Medical Surveillance Program, directed the Department of Energy to establish a medical screening program for potentially work-related health conditions for which early diagnosis and intervention would be beneficial. Despite medical advances in screening, however, many health problems are not amenable to screening on a population basis and do not necessarily lead to medically beneficial interventions. Neurologic symptoms, for example, are usually complex and require a careful in-depth diagnostic work-up to provide insight into the nature of the illness. Screening techniques for selected cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma, have not yet been developed. Thus, for reasons of program design, limited budget, and current medical science, the Worker Health Protection Program does not address all health conditions about which former gaseous diffusion plant workers may be concerned.

There is an important caveat in interpreting our current program results. The former gaseous diffusion plant worker population is large, numbering in the tens of thousands. The first screening program participants are a self-selected group and may not reflect the broader health or exposure experience of the former DOE workforce. They may be more or less ill than the former worker population as a whole. We expect to develop an improved sense of the health of this larger population as we screen additional workers in the coming years.

C. The Enhanced Worker Health Protection Program

In the current program year, the Worker Health Protection Program has received increased funding from Congress: a) to accelerate our medical testing and education program; b) to include current workers in the program; and c) to begin screening for the early detection of lung cancer through the use of low-dose computerized tomography (CT) scanning. We are highly appreciative of Congress and of the Department of Energy for giving us an enhanced capacity to meet the needs of DOE workers. Since we estimate that there are at least 15,000 former or current workers who could benefit from our program, we clearly have much work ahead of us.

Lung cancer is the most important specific cancer risk for workers at the gaseous diffusion plants of the Department of Energy. Occupational exposure to lung carcinogens at the gaseous diffusion plants, including asbestos, uranium, plutonium and beryllium produce excess risk of lung cancer. If early detection of lung cancer is achievable as a result of medical screening, its implementation should be accorded the highest priority among gaseous diffusion plant workers, especially for those at the highest risk of lung cancer. I am pleased to report that in October 2000 we will begin to offer such screening in the Worker Health Protection Program.

Our lung cancer program is based principally on the results of the Early Lung Cancer Action Project, undertaken by Henschke and colleagues at Cornell University and New York University Medical Schools, and published in Lancet in July, 1999. Their results have been confirmed by other similar studies that were reported at the Second International Conference on Screening for Lung Cancer at Cornell University Medical School in New York in February, 2000. Seven studies have now been undertaken in 4 different countries and have screened over 13,000 people for lung cancer. Approximately 75% of the cancers identified through screening were early (Stage I) cancers and, therefore, amenable to surgery and presumably cure.

With the support of Congress, we will offer such an early lung cancer detection program to screening participants of the Worker Health Protection Program at the gaseous diffusion plants of the Department of Energy. We have leased a state of the art CT scanner, which is being installed on a large mobile unit. The unit will be ready next week, and we will begin screening in Paducah in mid-October, 2000. We will transport it on a regular basis between Portsmouth, Oak Ridge, and Paducah. This component of our program will be offered to individuals, both current and former workers, who meet pre-determined criteria for lung cancer risk, as constituted by age, duration and likelihood of exposure to occupational lung carcinogens, and history of cigarette smoking. This program component is being integrated into the existing protocol of the Worker Health Protection Program and, thereby, achieve considerable efficiency and costs savings, especially in participant recruitment, baseline testing, follow-up, and overall program administration. We expect to screen at least 2,000 former and current gaseous diffusion plant workers in the next 12 months.

This medical advance is beginning to be offered in metropolitan areas of the United States such as New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. We are proud that we will now make Paducah, Portsmouth and Oak Ridge among the first communities in the nation to receive the potentially enormous benefits of this life-saving screening technique. The United States Congress and the Department of Energy will accrue enormous gratitude from the current and former gaseous diffusion plant workers as a result of literally saving the lives of a significant number of such workers through its support of lung cancer screening and the Worker Health Protection Program.

D. Why DOE Workers Need Compensation for Occupational Diseases

Having screened 1,800 gaseous diffusion workers in the Worker Health Protection Program, we can now say with confidence that there are sizable numbers of former DOE workers who have had significant occupational exposures in their lifetime, who have occupational illnesses, and who are not receiving compensation for these illnesses. The barriers to compensation have been reported to us by participants in our screening program. These barriers are many. They include:

1. Failure of the personal physician to recognize the illness as occupational in origin;

2. Failure of the physician to ask and understand the occupational exposures of the patients;

3. Lack of availability of objective, expert occupational medicine physicians to diagnose occupational illnesses;

4. Chronic occupational Illnesses may begin years after cessation of work for DOE;

5. Lack of knowledge by DOE workers that their condition might be covered by workers' compensation;

6. Lack of knowledge by DOE workers that workers' compensation might pay for medical bills;

7. Disinterest of attorneys in pursuing cases of workers' compensation for occupational illnesses;

8. Refusal by insurance carriers to recognize occupational illnesses.

In summary, no part of the current workers' compensation system works for former workers at DOE's gaseous diffusion plants. It is not the case that the weakest link deters overall progress in remedying the problem of lack of compensation for occupational illness among DOE workers. There are only weak links in this system, and a piecemeal approach to addressing the needs of DOE workers for compensation will not work.

Let me expand on two of the more difficult issues facing workers as they ask whether their illnesses might be occupational, the first step in determining the need for compensation.

The first core problem in occupational health at the gaseous diffusion plants of the Department of Energy problem is the lack of access of former and current DOE workers to objective, expert, independent care in occupational medicine. When any of us develop a heart arrhythmia, a neurologic syndrome, or cancer, we fully expect to see a physician who will give us his or her candid, specific, expert opinion that is the distillation of many years of specialized training and clinical experience. We further expect that this opinion will be unencumbered by any conflict of interest of the physician, such as a financial interest in a particular medical tool or laboratory, which would influence the opinion of that physician, sometimes to our detriment. These conditions frame a basic standard of care that we have come to expect in our country.

These conditions, however, do not currently exist, and indeed have never existed, for the workers at the three gaseous diffusion plants of the Department of Energy, or probably throughout much of the DOE complex. Such workers have never as a rule had an opportunity for this simple encounter: to have a potentially work-related illness evaluated by a physician who has the knowledge to determine whether the illness is work-related and is free to make that determination without concern about ramifications to the employer. Instead, workers in Paducah, Portsmouth, and Oak Ridge raise their health concerns with their primary care providers who do not ask about or know about occupational hazards. Or their health concerns arise with physicians who are employed by or under the influence of DOE contractors and thereby have dual loyalties. It is little wonder, therefore, that workers, who are very proud of the service that they have performed for the past 5 decades, nonetheless feel that they have been treated unfairly with reference to occupational illness.

Two immediate consequences result from this failure to provide a basic standard of occupational health care. First, occupational illness is not properly diagnosed and treated. This harms the individual. It also harms co-workers and future workers, because it prevents the return of vital information to the workplace, information that could be used to prevent other workers from becoming ill.

The second consequence is that workers and their families will form their own opinions about whether the workplace is the source of their ills. In the absence of external expert knowledge, workers will use their own expertise to decide about the work-relatedness of their problems. Often they will be correct. Indeed, the history of occupational medicine is replete with examples of occupational diseases first identified by workers and later confirmed by physicians. Sometimes, however, workers will not be correct in attributing their symptoms to the workplace. The result of this error is that the DOE facility may be falsely targeted as the source of a spectrum of diverse and quite unrelated illnesses. We cannot blame people who make this judgment: they do so in a vacuum. The underlying problem is the structural lack of a system that can authoritatively and credibly confirm or refute workers' suspicions about workplace exposures as the source of their ill health.

Let me turn to a second core problem in occupational health at the gaseous diffusion plants: the lack of proper, accurate information about exposures that have occurred at the gaseous diffusion plants over the past four or five decades. Ultimately, in occupational medicine, we are called upon to make a judgment about whether a health problem of a particular individual is work-related. The equation that rules this decision is quite simple. On the one side is information about the exposure or workplace factor. On the other side of the equation is the delineation of the illness. The latter is usually straightforward given the armamentarium of medical tools that we now have to conduct medical investigations.

The weak link in this equation is often the level and quality of knowledge about the workplace exposures. Chronic occupational illness today results from exposures that occurred in the past. We are therefore subject to whatever actions that people who were responsible for the workplace did or did not take to measure those exposures. In 1996-1997, as part of the Worker Health Protection Program, we conducted a one year needs assessment of workplace exposures and the rationale for medical screening at the gaseous diffusion plants. We concluded, as have others, that workplace exposures have been poorly documented in general at the gaseous diffusion plants, either through failure to measure properly, or through failure to document measurements in a manner that can be properly interpreted. This applies to radiation measurements, but even more so to assessment of hazardous chemical agents such as asbestos, silica, and beryllium.

One important consequence of this failure is that it makes the decision-making about causality between workplace exposures and health problems that occur many years later difficult and complex. When a gaseous diffusion plant worker, or more likely, retiree, develops lung cancer, the likelihood that his prior occupational exposures to asbestos contributed to the development of the lung cancer depends very much on the intensity, duration, and timing of his exposures to asbestos. If information on this exposure does not exist, the amount of judgment that must be used to decide on work-relatedness of that lung cancer increases. And, so too does room for disagreement in formulating that judgment.

A cynical means to "eliminate" occupational disease now becomes apparent. First, on a prospective basis, fail to document exposures in a thorough, reliable, and interpretable manner. Second, overlook communicating meaningful information about those exposures to workers. Finally, decades later, when chronic occupational diseases of long latency appear, claim retrospectively that insufficient data on exposure preclude proper assessment of the causal role of such exposures in the development of the extant illnesses. Note that the premature deaths and diseases suffered by workers do not disappear under such a scheme. But the occupational attribution vanishes.

Let me provide an example relevant to the "discovery" of plutonium, neptunium, and other transuranics at the Paducah gaseous diffusion plant. The same lesson applies to the Oak Ridge and Portsmouth gaseous diffusion plants. A memorandum from 1960 has been discovered, entitled "Neptunium237 Contamination Problem, Paducah, Kentucky, February 4, 1960." It was written by Dr. C. L. Dunham, a physician who directed the Division of Biology and Medicine of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the predecessor to DOE, and a physician colleague from the same Division (Attachment A). Dr. Dunham was therefore the chief physician of the AEC and presumably took the same Hippocratic Oath that every physician takes upon entering the profession. In this memo, they discuss in some detail how neptunium arrives in Paducah, how it deposits on the inner barrier tubes that are the central component of the gaseous diffusion process, and how workers are exposed to the neptunium. They then refer to urine neptunium levels taken in some workers. These physicians further specify that up to 300 Paducah workers should be tested but that, referring to management personnel "they hesitate to proceed to intensive studies because of the union's use of this as an excuse for hazard pay (p. 3)." Dr. Dunham and colleague further argue in favor of the need to obtain post mortem tissue samples, but state that this was difficult due to "unfavorable public relations." Dr. Dunham and colleague conclude: "Thus, it appears that Paducah has a neptunium problem but we don't have the data to tell them how serious it is." There is a striking absence of any formulation of a plan of how to collect those data and how to reduce neptunium exposure at Paducah.

And now, forty years later, we are asked to judge how significant that exposure might have been, who was the population at risk, and whether a retiree's cancer was caused by that unquantified and, presumably, uninvestigated exposure to neptunium, plutonium, and other materials. And at the end of the current spate of urgent investigations, news reports and hearings, there will be some who will conclude ruefully that "we simply do not have the data to tell them how serious it is" and will thereby be paralyzed by this ignorance. I cannot think of a better way to make occupational disease "disappear."

I. Conclusion

Clearly, our present obligations to workers who built and maintained our nuclear weapons stockpile require that we move beyond paralysis. Through our Worker Health Protection Program, Congress has provided an immediate response to the need of gaseous diffusion plant workers for appropriate and timely medical screening for work-related disease. It is now time for Congress to take the next step: establishing a simple and effective system that will meet the need and right of DOE workers for just compensation. For the past decade, Congress has supported a sustained and costly program to clean-up the environment at the gaseous diffusion plants and through the DOE complex in general. Are DOE workers who served us for decades worth any less?

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Message: 32
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Army report confirms high IAAP radiation
Hydro tests with DU

9/20/2000
By Dennis J. Carroll The Hawk Eye
http://www.thehawkeye.com/daily/stories/ln20098.html

o Narrative covering limited time period concludes at least some workers were monitored for exposure.

High levels of radioactive and metal contamination still exist at the Middletown munitions plant at sites used for the production and testing of nuclear weapons, according to an Army report to Congress released Tuesday.

However, the report says that the contaminants, found in groundwater and soil at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant, do not appear to pose a threat to human health or the environment, at least not for the immediate future.

The report said the contaminated soil will likely need to be excavated.

The report also concludes that at least some nuclear workers were monitored for exposure to radioactive materials such as plutonium, tritium and uranium.

That comes despite reports by workers themselves that they were routinely exposed to dangerous materials without proper precautions or monitoring.

The portion of the report dealing with worker exposure only addresses activities of the Atomic Energy Commission for about 10 percent of the time that the AEC built and disassembled nuclear weapons at the plant.

It could not be determined just what years were covered, but several sources suggested that it may have been about the time in 1974 and 1975 when AEC operations were being transferred to the Pantex weapons plant in Amarillo, Texas.

It also appears that much of the report was based on "a container of records" provided by the Department of Energy. The records provided a "snapshot" of AEC operations, the Army said.

Army spokesmen knowledgeable about the report could not be reached for comment.

The report was prepared for congressional defense committees and the Senate Appropriations Committee and released by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who had requested it.

Despite the short period of time covered and the relative vagueness of its 10 pages, the report concludes that "the documents revealed that plant management was committed to monitoring the employees and either eliminating contamination in the work areas or maintaining acceptable levels."

At least one former worker questions that, however.

Robert Anderson, a former security shift commander who suffered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of cancer that he says may be related to his work at the plant, said he does not recall such extensive monitoring, and was dubious of the report's findings.

"It's basically an overdue book report," Anderson said, adding it offers little that has not already been reported.

"They took everything out of The Hawk Eye and recapped it and put it in this report," Anderson said.

As to the monitoring, Anderson said, "All the X-ray technicians, and there were many, participated in it, but I didn't. My men didn't, and we were around the stuff every day."

"My take on it is they did some radiation badging. As I recall, once a month they film-badged people or once a month they blood-tested people. But only the X-ray people had badges all the time," he said.

A wife of a former worker who said her husband worked on Line 1 from 1949 to 1974, said it was her understanding that workers' name tags served as monitors for hazardous materials.

"The badges would change color," if the workers were exposed to high levels, said the woman, who asked not to be identified.

The Army report also said that radiation dosimetry records were located for 430 AEC employees.

"Although the records indicate that during operations radiation contamination above administrative limits was detected occasionally, the doses that personnel apparently received did not exceed standards set by (Department of Energy) or the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for occupationally exposed employees," the report said.

As to environmental contamination, the Army report found that the area of most concern seemed to be Firing Site 12, a 10-acre area used by the AEC in "hydroshot" testing of nuclear weapons components. Workers used depleted uranium to test-fire the conventional components that were designed to set off a nuclear blast.

It has been determined that radioactive clouds were released into the environment and the surrounding soil became highly contaminated with radiation.

However, the Army report said air radiation monitors around the facility on the firing range detected radiation levels at or near normal background levels.

Also on the firing site, in surveys taken between 1991 and 1995, high levels of metal and radioactive contaminates were found in shallow soils and in groundwater, the report said.

Similar levels of the contaminates turned up in 1996 and this fiscal year, the report said. However, the Army said that because in the geophysical characteristics of Firing Site 12, "there is no pathway for contamination to cause a risk to human health or the environment above accepted exposure standards."

And the report added: "There are no confirmed reports of any impact on the local community of radiological contamination at Production Line 1 or Firing Site 12, the subjects of the report.

However, the report did conclude that "minor" soil excavations will be needed at the firing site and along Line 1.

The Army report did not mention the extremely high levels of barium, a toxic metal, found on a 15 to 20-acre site where hazardous wastes were burned into the open air for many years.

The Army Corps of Engineers has speculated that at least some of the barium, which has yet to be cleaned up, came from AEC operations.

The Army findings estimated that a total of 15,000 people were employed at IAAP, with about 4,000 on the AEC line, but it was unclear what time period that covered.

Other estimates have put the number of total IAAP employees over more than 25 years at 20,000 to 40,000.

The Department of Energy and the University of Iowa recently embarked on a multiyear survey of worker health problems, and the DOE and Army are continuing with their survey of areas used by the Atomic Energy Commission, including Firing Site 12.

In addition, former nuclear workers are being surveyed and tested for possible exposure to beryllium disease, resulting from exposure to beryllium, used in the construction of nuclear weapons.

The IAAP also is in the middle of a 30 to 40-year Superfund cleanup of more than 170 polluted sites on the 19,000-acre compound.

"This report suggests that there is no imminent danger from the environmental legacy of nuclear weapons work at IAAP," Harkin said. "However, we must not stop here. This report is just another indicator of how much more work needs to be done."

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Message: 33
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2000
From: "Paula Elofson-Gardine, Exec. Dir." <pelofson1@home.com>

Good to know his foes. Ecologists for nuclear power

This is frankly unbelieveable. What a tremendous example of what we call a "WISE USE" group - someone started by or funded by the industry as "cheerleaders" to support the corporate agenda, while giving the appearance to be bona fide or true environmentalists.

These people have to be nuclear establishment employees, lobbyists, or totally ignorant back woods types that know nothing about the problems associated with long-lived environmental pollution and by product waste problems associated with these operations.

Dear friends of clean nuclear energy,

We have very good news for you today : you probably have heard already about James LOVELOCK through the TV and media.

He is one of the (if not THE) most famous environmentalist in the world.

We exchanged some correspondance with James Lovelock over the last few months, and informed him in detail about the work of EFN, and he has now joyfully accepted to join EFN, and to write a preface to my book "Environmentalists FOR Nuclear Energy" (a bestseller in France, english edition in print).

The text of this preface is communicated below. We will let you know, in a few weeks, when the printed edition of the book will be available. It will be possible to order it via the internet.

Given the mythical, symbolical and historical importance of LOVELOCK's work in the development of the environmental consciousness around the world since the 1960's, his support to our work is, in my opinion, a very important step forward.

Even before James Lovelock's preface and support, EFN has been growing rapidly as an increasing number of people and environmentalists all around the world understand the need and the importance of clean nuclear energy to protect our environment.

James LOVELOCK has always been in favor of clean nuclear energy, but he now accepts to say so publicly, and to support EFN, and I think that this is the symbol of, and that it will contribute to, a major shift which is starting to happen in the attitude of environmental movements towards nuclear energy.

The greatest, the n°1 environmentalist on the planet now does not hesitate to be

openly in favor of clean civil nuclear energy !

For those who aren't too familiar yet with Lovelock's books, we would recommend reading "Gaia, a new look at life on earth" or "The Gaia theory" or "The Ages of

Gaia".

With best regards,
Bruno Comby

President of ENVIRONMENTALISTS FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY (EFN)
Preface for the English edition of Bruno Comby's book :

"ENVIRONMENTALISTS FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY"
(in print)
by James LOVELOCK

Short summary of Lovelock's biography : independent environmentalist, author and scientific researcher, Doctor Honoris Causa of several universities throughout the world, he is considered since several decades as a founder of the worldwide environmental movement in the 1960's ; he is one of the main ideological leaders, if not the main one, in the history of the development of environmental awareness. James Lovelock is still today one of the main authors in the environmental field. He is the author of " The GaiaTheory ", and " The Ages of Gaia ", which consider the planet Earth as a self-regulated living being.

I spent my childhood in the English countryside over 70 years ago where we lived a simple life without telephones or electricity. Horses were still a normal source of power and we hardly imagined radio and television. One thing I remember well was how superstitious we all were and how tangible was the concept of evil. Men and women who in other ways were intelligent, fearfully avoided places said to be haunted, and they would suffer inconvenience rather than travel on Fridays that were the 13th day of the month. Their irrational fears fed on ignorance and were quite common. I cannot help thinking that they persist, but now these fears are about the products of science. This is particularly true of nuclear power plants that seem to stir the dread that in the past was felt about a moonlit graveyard thought to be infested with werewolves and vampires.

The fear of nuclear energy is understandable through its association in the mind

with the horrors of nuclear warfare, but it is unjustified; nuclear power plants are not bombs. What at first was a proper concern for safety has become a near pathological anxiety and much of the blame for this goes to the news media, the television and film industries, and fiction writers. All these have used the fear of things nuclear as a reliable prop to sell their wares. They, and the political disinformers who sought to discredit the nuclear industry as potential enemies, have been so successful at frightening the public that it is now impossible in many nations to propose a new nuclear power plant.

No source of power is entirely safe, even windmills are not free of fatal accidents, and Bruno Comby's fine book gives a true and balanced account of the great benefits and small risks of nuclear power. I wholeheartedly agree with him and I want to put it to you that the dangers of continuing to burn fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) as our main energy source are far greater and they threaten not just individuals but civilization itself. Much of the first world behaves like an addicted smoker: we are so used to burning fossil fuels for our needs that we ignore their insidious long-term dangers.

Polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases has no immediate consequences, but continued pollution leads to climate changes whose effects are only apparent when it is almost too late for a cure. Carbon dioxide poisons the environment just as salt can poison us. No harm comes from a modest intake, but a daily diet with too much salt can cause a lethal quantity to accumulate in the body.

We need to distinguish between things that are directly harmful to people, and things that harm indirectly by damaging our habitat the Earth.

Bubonic plague in the Middle Ages was directly harmful, caused immense personal agony and killed thirty percent of Europeans, but it was a small threat to civilization and of no consequence for the Earth itself. The burning of carbon fuels and the conversion of natural ecosystems to farmland cause no immediate harm to people but slowly impair the Earth's capacity to self-regulate and sustain, as it has always done, a planet fit for life. Although nothing we do will destroy life on Earth, we could change the environment to a point where civilization is threatened.

Sometime in this or the next century we may see this happen because of climate change and a rise in the level of the sea. If we go on burning fossil fuel at the present rate, or at an increasing rate, it is probable that all of the cities of the world now at sea level will beflooded. Try to imagine the social consequences of hundreds of millions of homeless refugees seeking dry land on which to live. In the turmoil, they may look back and wonder how humans could have been so foolish as to bring so much misery upon themselves by the thoughtless burning of carbon fuels. They may then reflect regretfully that they could have avoided their miseries by the safe benefice of nuclear energy.

Nuclear power, although potentially harmful to people, is a negligible danger to the planet. Natural ecosystems can stand levels of continuous radiation that would be intolerable in a city. The land around the failed Chernobyl power station was evacuated because its high radiation intensity made it unsafe for people, but this radioactive land is now rich in wildlife, much more so than neighboring populated areas. We call the ash from nuclear power nuclear waste and worry about its safe disposal. I wonder if instead we should use it an an incorruptible guardian of the beautiful places of the Earth. Who would dare cut down a forest in which was the storage place of nuclear ash?

Such is the extent of nuclear anxiety that even scientists seem to forget our planet's radioactive history. It seems almost certain that a supernova event occurred close in time and space to the origin of our solar system.

A supernova is the explosion of a large star. Astrophysicists speculate that this fate may overtake stars more than three times as large as the Sun. As a star burns - by fusion - its store of hydrogen and helium, the ashes of the fire accumulate at the centre, in the form of heavier elements like silicon and iron.

If this core of dead elements, which are no longer able to generate heat and pressure, should much exceed the mass of our own sun then the inexorable force of its own weight will cause its collapse in a matter of seconds to a body no larger than 18 miles (30 kilometers) in diameter but still as heavy as a star. We have here, in the death throes of a large star, all the ingredients for a vast nuclear explosion. A supernovae, at its peak, produces stupendous amounts of heat, light and hard radiations, about as much as the total produced by all the other stars in the same galaxy.

Explosions are never one hundred percent efficient. When a star ends as a supernova, the nuclear explosive material, which includes uranium and plutonium, together with large amounts of iron and other burnt-out elements, scatters in space, as does the dust cloud of a hydrogen bomb test.

Perhaps the strangest thing about the Earth is that it formed from lumps of fall-out from a star-sized nuclear bomb. This is why even today there is still enough uranium left in the Earth's crust to reconstitute on a minute scale the original event.

There is no other credible explanation of the great quantity of unstable elements still present. The most primitive and old-fashioned Geiger counter will indicate that we stand on the fall-out of a vast ancient nuclear explosion. Within our bodies, about one million atoms, rendered unstable in that event, still erupt every minute, releasing a tiny fraction of the energy stored from that fierce fire of long ago.

Life began nearly four billion years ago under conditions of radioactivity far more intense than those that trouble the minds of certain present-day environmentalists. Moreover, there was neither oxygen nor ozone in the air so that the fierce unfiltered ultra-violet radiation of the sun irradiated the surface of the Earth. We need to keep in mind the thought that these fierce energies flooded the very womb of life.

I hope that it is not too late for the world to emulate France and make nuclear power our principal source of energy. There is at present no other safe, practical and economic substitute for the dangerous practice of burning carbon fuels.

James LOVELOCK.

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Message: 34
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000
From: magnu96196@aol.com

Toxic Texas
The Environmental Legacy of Governor George W. Bush

http://www.txpeer.org/bush/index.html

Texas Governor George W. Bush wants to bring the agenda he championed as governor to Washington D.C. as the next U.S. president.