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abolition-usa-digest     Tuesday, January 4 2000     Volume 01 : Number 246




----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 12:51:35 -0500
From: ASlater <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Fwd: Comments on Waste shipments through Native Amer. lands

>Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2000 08:51:50 -0500
>Subject: Comments on Waste shipments through Native Amer. lands
>Priority: non-urgent
>X-FC-MachineGenerated: true
>To: [e-mail]
>From: [e-mail] ([e-mail])
>
>NRC is seeking comments on a potential proposed rule for notifying native
>american tribes of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High Level Waste shipments
>through tribal lands.
>information is located at: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/gmo/nrarcv/99-264.html
>
>SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an
>amendment to its regulations that would require NRC licensees to notify
>Native American Tribes of shipments of certain types of high-level
>radioactive waste, including spent nuclear fuel, prior to transport to
>or across the boundary of Tribal lands. Current NRC regulations require
>advance notification of these shipments to States. In recognition of
>Tribal sovereignty and the need for Tribes to be informed about
>activities that occur on Tribal lands, the NRC seeks to extend these
>regulations to include advance notification of these shipments to
>Federally recognized Native American Tribes. This advance notice of
>proposed rulemaking is issued to invite early input from affected
>parties and the public on the issue of advance notification.
>DATES: The comment period expires March 22, 2000. Comments received
>after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the
>Commission is able to assure consideration only for comments received
>on or before this date.
>ADDRESSES: Mail comments to: The Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
>Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
>Adjudications Staff.
>Hand deliver comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
>
>Does ANA want to do comments?
>
>-M
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
15 East 26th Street, Room 915
New York, NY 10010
tel:  [phone]
fax:  [phone]
email:  [e-mail]
http://www.gracelinks.org

GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty to
eliminate nuclear weapons.

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 with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message.
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------------------------------

Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 08:08:27 +1100
From: "Helen Caldicott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) World Trade Organization Comments

Good idea Timothy, I would help with that, Helen Caldicott

- ----- Original Message -----
From: Timothy Bruening <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2000 7:44 PM
Subject: (abolition-usa) World Trade Organization Comments


> I have read that GATT, which is now under the World Trade Organization's
> jurisdiction, has a national security exemption, meaning that nations can
> place restrictions on trade to preserve their national security.  Thus
> Canada can subsidize its weapons corporations (in a $30 million program
> announced in October) to develop new weapons (but not civilian aircraft)
> without violating WTO rules.
>
> Would it be possible for the U.S. to defend environmental, public health,
> and worker rights laws by claiming that a clean environment, a healthy
> populace, and high wages are essential for national security?  Could
> developing nations defend protective tariffs by claiming that they need to
> develop domestic industries to protect their national security?
>
> The WTO is a very interesting organization.  Firstly, it has full
executive
> authority over more than 20 international trade related agreements.
> Secondly, it has the ability to strike down any laws that violate WTO
rules
> and compel nations to pass new, WTO compliant laws by imposing penalties
and
> trade sanctions.  For example, the WTO has forced the EPA to change
emission
> rules for gasoline, forced the U.S. to end its ban on imported shrimp
caught
> without Turtle Excluder Devices to save endangered sea turtles, and forced
> the EU to end preferential treatment for bananas grown it former European
> colonies in the Caribbean.  The WTO has also authorized the U.S. to impose
> tariffs against the EU for banning beef grown with hormones.  Thirdly, it
> has judicial powers in the form of a Dispute Settlement Body, which
consists
> of panels of corporate and trade lawyers who preside in secret hearings as
> final judges and arbiters of disputes among WTO members.  This makes the
WTO
> a de facto World Government!
>
> I propose that we push for the creation of a World Disarmament
Organization
> (WDO) with similar powers, so that it can compel nations to disarm
> (including forcing the nuclear nations to get rid of their nukes) and
permit
> on-site inspections.  If 134 nations can cede some of their power over
trade
> to the WTO, surely they can cede some of their sovereignty for the sake of
> ending the threat of nuclear war.
>
> Has anyone considered asking the World Court to rule on whether or not the
> WTO violates international law?
>
>
> -
>  To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to
"[e-mail]"
>  with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message.
>  For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
>  "help" to the same address.  Do not use quotes in your message.
>


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 To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "[e-mail]"
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------------------------------

Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 08:31:48 +1100
From: "Helen Caldicott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: (abolition-usa) Tritium in the Ogalala Aquifer

It depends where these factories are, but it is probably more likely to be
coming from them with some contribution from fallout, Helen - hope you had
good holidays.

- ----- Original Message -----
From: ASlater <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>; abolition-usa
<[e-mail]>; <star:;>
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 3:47 AM
Subject: (abolition-usa) Tritium in the Ogalala Aquifer


> Dear Friends,
> New tritium contamination is reported in the Oglala aquifer.  The article
> attributes it to bomb test fall out.  But is there a possibility that it
is
> coming from the DOE Pantex plant at Amarillo, where the warheads are
stored
> and
> which sits on top of the aquifer?  Alice
> >WATER CONTAMINATION SPEEDING INTO HIGH PLAINS AQUIFER
> >
> >OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, December 15, 1999 (ENS) - Nitrate and tritium
> >concentrations in groundwater samples collected this year by the SGS from
> >the
> >High Plains aquifer in western Oklahoma show that water may be seeping
from
> >the
> >land surface to the water table within the span of a few decades. The
> >finding
> >could affect water users, irrigated agriculture and livestock operations
in
> >the
> >region. Many people had thought that it took hundreds or thousands of
years
> >for
> >water and water borne contaminants to seep down to the water table in the
> >High
> >Plains aquifer. Because there is little rainfall, the water table is
often
> >more
> >than 200 feet below land surface, and sheltered by layers of naturally
> >cemented
> >sand and gravel. The High Plains aquifer is the sole source of drinking
> >water
> >for most residents in the Oklahoma panhandle.
> >
> >The USGS sampled 12 domestic wells built in the aquifer in Oklahoma in
> >early
> >1999. Seven of those water samples had tritium concentrations exceeding
2.5
> >picocuries per liter, indicating seepage from rainfall that fell since
> >1953,
> >when atmospheric testing of hydrogen bombs began. Tritium is an isotope
of
> >hydrogen that is harmless at low concentrations. Water samples collected
> >for
> >the
> >project are being analyzed for ratios of tritium to helium-3 gas or for
> >concentrations of carbon-14 to determine when the ground water fell as
> >rainfall
> >and started seeping toward the water table. This study may modify
previous
> >beliefs about the vulnerability of the High Plains aquifer to
contamination
> >in
> >western Oklahoma.
> >
> >c Environment News Service (ENS) 1999. All Rights Reserved.
> >
> >
> >*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
> >       [e-mail] -- The email list for the
> >            GRACE Factory Farming Project Team
> >        See web site at http://www.factoryfarm.org/
> >
> Alice Slater
> Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
> 15 East 26th Street, Room 915
> New York, NY 10010
> tel:  [phone]
> fax:  [phone]
> email:  [e-mail]
> http://www.gracelinks.org
>
> GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty
to
> eliminate nuclear weapons.
>
> -
>  To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to
"[e-mail]"
>  with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message.
>  For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
>  "help" to the same address.  Do not use quotes in your message.
>


- -
 To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "[e-mail]"
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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 10:24:10 +1000
From: FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) PLS SIGN LETTER TO INDIAN PRIME MINISTER RE KOODANKULAM NUCLEAR PROJECT

John Hallam
Friends of the Earth Sydney,
17 Lord Street, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 2042
Fax [phone]  ph (61)(2)9517-3903
[e-mail]
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd


Please read the following petition on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project
and sign it if you
agree.  We will be faxing it to the relevant authorities early next week.
You can send your name,
affiliation and other relevant details to any of the following people:

(The Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project is a twin VVER1000 (Russian design)
reactor project, located close to the holy southern tip of india at
Kanyakumari.  The author of the letter some years ago did an analysis of
safety aspects of the VVER1000 design for the K2R4 campaign. The
Koodankulam project is an updated version of this design, which like
western- design reactors, has many many safety problems.
A campaign against the Koodankulam project is gathering strength.)


John Hallam <[e-mail]>
S. P. Udayakumar <[e-mail]>
Harsh Kapoor <[e-mail]>
Thanks for your support!
*****************************************************

TEXT OF LETTER IS BELOW WITH SIGNATURES TO DATE

FROM:

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH NETHERLANDS,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH COSTA- RICA,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH AUSTRIA (GLOBAL 2000)
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH FINLAND, HELSINKI,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH EL SALVADOR,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH UKRAINE,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH GEORGIA/GEORGIA GREENS, TBILSI, GEORGIA,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SLOVAKIA,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH U.K.,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH DENMARK, COPENHAGEN,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH LITHUANIA/LITHUANIAN GREEN MOVEMENT,
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH CYPRUS
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH MACEDONIA
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH GERMANY (BUND)

SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITY CENTRE  FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, NAGERCOIL, TAMIL
NADU,
COALITION FOR AN EGALITARIAN AND PLURALISTIC INDIA
INDIAN PEOPLES ASSOCIATION IN NORTH AMERICA
UNDA/OCIC, RNC RD CALCUTTA,
SAH VIKAS SOCIETY, DELHI,
FRIENDS OF NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN,
SOUTH ASIANS AGAINST NUKES,

SDPI, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN,

ECODEFENSE RUSSIA,
SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL UNION, RUSSIA,
ANTINUCLEAR CAMPAIGN IN THE EX-USSR,
CENTRE FOR RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY,  RUSSIA,
TOMSK AGENCY FOR BIOCOMPUTERS AND HUMAN ECOLOGY,
NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL CENTRE OF UKRAINE, KIEV,
SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL UNION, ODESSA, UKRAINE.,
FOR MOTHER EARTH BELARUS, MINSK, BELARUS,
SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL UNION, TURKMENISTAN,
INSTITUTE FOR BIODIVERSITY IN CENTRAL ASIA, TURKMENISTAN,
ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT OF MOLDOVA,

GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL, AMSTERDAM,
WORLD INFORMATION SERVICE ON ENERGY, AMSTERDAM,
ZHABA COLLECTIVE, AMSTERDAM,
MDB ENERGY PROJECT, NETH,
FOR MOTHER EARTH NETHERLANDS,

ANTI-ATOM INTERNATIONAL, VIENNA,
UPPER AUSTRIAN PLATFORM AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS,
CENTRE FOR ENCOUNTER AND ACTIVE NON-VIOLENCE, BAD ISCHL, AUSTRIA.

HNUTI DUHA, CZECH REPUBLIC,
 BIU - BUERGERINITIATIVE UMWELTSCHUTZ, CZECH REPUBLIC,
CENTRUM ENERGIE, CZECH REPUBLIC,
GREENPEACE FINLAND,
OOA DENMARK,
PEOPLE OF THE EIFFEL AGAINST NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, GERMANY,
WOMENS INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM, FRANCE,
WOMENS INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM, GENEVA,
INTERNATIONAL PEACE BUREAU, GENEVA,

DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY CENTRE, NEW ZEALAND,

WORLD COURT PROJECT, LONDON, U.K.,
YOUTH AND STUDENT C.N.D., LONDON, U.K.,
WEST MIDLANDS CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT,
THIRD WORLD FIRST SOCIETY, STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY, U.K.,
SWANSEA EARTH ACTION, UNIVERSITY OF SWANSEA, WALES, U.K.,
DROITWITCH EARTHRISE, WORCS, U.K.,
SCOTLAND AGAINST NUCLEAR DUMPING, UK.,
OXFORD UNIVERSITY ONE WORLD GROUP, OXFORD, U.K.,
CENTRE FOR HUMAN ECOLOGY, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND,

CITIZENS NUCLEAR INFORMATION CENTRE, TOKYO, JAPAN.,
GREEN PARTY TAIWAN, TAIPEH, TAIWAN
WORLD FUTURE STUDIES FEDERATION, BACOLOD, PHILLIPINES,

GLOBAL RESOURCE  AND ACTION CENTRE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, N.Y.,
PROPOSITION-1 COMMITTEE, WASHINGTON DC., USA.,
SAVE WARD VALLEY, CALIF, U.S.A.,
THE NUCLEAR RESISTER, U.S.A.,
WASTE NOT, NY, USA.
WASTE ACTION PROJECT, U.S.,
NUCLEAR INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTRE, U.S.,
NUCLEAR-FREE NEW YORK,
AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE, SAN FRANCISCO, US.,
ALLIANCE FOR NUCLEAR ACCOUNTABILITY, WASHINGTON, USA.,
HUMBOLT ORGANISED FOR PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, US,
ALLIANCE TO CLOSE INDIAN POINT, NY., US.,
NEW HAMPSHIRE PEACE ACTION,
CITIZENS PROTECTION OHIO
REDWOOD ALLIANCE, CALIFORNIA,
GRANDMOTHERS FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL,
COALITION FOR NUCLEAR POWER POSTPONEMENT,
COMMITTEE AGAINST PLUTONIUM ECONOMICS, DELAWARE, USA,
GREEN DELAWARE, USA.,
COMMUNITY ORGANISING CENTRE, COLUMBUS, OHIO,
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION OF NATIVE AMERICANS., USA.,
ALLIANCE FOR SURVIVAL, CALIF, U.S.A.,
SOUTHERN COALITION OPPOSING PLUTONIUM ENERGY,
NUCLEAR GUARDIANSHIP PROJECT, BERKLEY, CA., USA.,
LAWYERS COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR POLICY,
WOMENS ACTION FOR NEW DIRECTIONS, MASS., USA.,
PRAIRIE ISLAND COALITION,
CITIZENS PROTECTING OHIO,
SACRED EARTH NETWORK, MASS, USA.,
SHUNDAHAI NETWORK, NEVADA, U.S.,
STOP CASSINI FLYBY,
PEACE ACTION NEW MEXICO,

INTER CHURCH URANIUM COMMITTEE, SASKATOON, CANADA,
NEW GREEN ALLIANCE CANADA,
GREEN PARTY CANADA.,
CANADIAN VOICE OF WOMEN FOR PEACE

ENVIRONMENT CENTRE OF W.A., PERTH, W.A., AUSTRALIA,
NORTHERN TERRITORY ENVIRONMENT CENTRE, DARWIN, NT, AUST,
JABILUKA ACTION GROUP VICTORIA,
PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, NSW., AUSTRALIA,
ARID LANDS ENVIRONMENT CENTRE, ALICE SPRINGS, N.T.,
MINERAL POLICY INSTITUTE, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA,

TO:
THE HONOURABLE PRIME MINISTER,  A.B. VAJPAYEE,
SOUTH BLOCK  NEW DELHI, 110-004  Fax [phone],

MINATOME RUSSIA, [phone]

DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY,  DR. R. CHIDAMBARAM,
Fax [phone].

NUCLEAR POWER CORPORATION OF INDIA
FAX [phone],   91-22-556-3350

ATOMIC ENERGY REGULATORY BOARD (AERB)
Fax [phone]

THE HONOURABLE MINISTER FOR POWER AND NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES,
20 SHRAM SHAKTI BHAVAN,  RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI 110-001.  Fax [phone]

THE HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU,
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, ST GEORGE FORT, MADRAS,600-005   Fax [phone]

THE HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF KERALA,
SECRETARIAT,  MAHATMA GANDHI ROAD, THIRUVANATHAPURAM, 625-001.
Fax [phone].

THE HONORURABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF ANDHRA PRADESH
SECRETARIAT BUILDING, HYDERABAD.

RE: KOODANKULAM NUCLEAR POWER PROJECT.

Dear Prime Minister, Minatome, Minister for Energy, Department of Atomic
Energy, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board,  and Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh,

The above and undersigned organisations and people express deep concern
over the Indian Government's decision to commission 2 x VVER1000/392
nuclear power plants on the east coast of Southern India at Koodankulam in
Tamil Nadu State.

The reasons for our deep concern are as follows :

1) There are grave and serious unresolved technical and safety questions in
the Russian VVER-1000/392 reactor design chosen for the Koodankulam
project. (discussed below). If these important technical and safety
questions are to be resolved satisfactorily, it would cost an additional US
$ 1-2 billion, in addition to the present cost of US$4billion, (16,000
crores of rupees approximately). It is an undesirable drain of India's hard
- - earned revenue. It is sure to affect India's overall development in the
next millennium. Moreover, the decommissioning cost will be not less than
US $5 billion, an avoidable burden on the future generations.

It is essential that the Detailed Project Report now in preparation,  deal
with these problems, and that it be released in full for public comment.

2) Accidents in nuclear power plants can never be ruled out. Unlike
accidents in other engineering fields,  accidents in nuclear power plants
would always be devastating as was the case with the  Chernobyl accident in
the former USSR. The Chernobyl accident affected badly  farm life and
forests in Sweden  over 2000 Km from Chernobyl. An accident in Koodankulam
plant would affect not only the Tamilnadu and Kerala States but also the
entire Indian sub-continent and even  neighbouring Sri Lanka.

The VVER-1000/392 design will be the first of its type any where in the
world. It is nothing but  propaganda to say that VVER-1000/392 design is a
safe and proven design. The control system for this design intended for
India is being developed by Siemens Germany as a new assignment and
Koodankulam will be the testing ground for it. Problems with control
systems and I&C in European VVER plants have been compounded and made worse
by attempts to 'upgrade' those systems with western- designed new systems,
notably from Siemens.

The specific   technical and safety problems of the VVER1000/320 series,
are briefly  outlined in the next paragraphs.  It is clear that DAE and the
NPC and AERB have not considered these problems and it is essential that
they do so.  The Detailed Project report is an appropriate forum in which
to discuss these matters in detail, so that they may be the subject for a
process of public comment.

The NPC has reassured us repeatedly that the design of plant chosen is
'completely safe'.  According to Mr. S. K. Jain, chief engineer of the
Koodankulam project, the Russian reactors are 'extremely safe' and have
'many significant safety enhancement features'.

It may be true that the VVER-1000/392 reactor design that has been chosen
has some advantages over some western- style reactors, and it is true that
the VVER type reactor is not the same as the Chernobyl-type RBMK design.

But the fact is that all reactor designs without exception are inherently
risky. There is no reactor design and no reactor type that presents
acceptable levels of risk for the society as a whole, and the consequences
of any accident will last for hundreds of thousands of years.

It is also the case that the VVER-1000 reactor design has quite specific
safety problems which Mr. Jain's reassurances do nothing to clear up.  The
specific variant of the VVER 1000 design that has been chosen, the
VVER1000/392 design, will be the first of its type anywhere in the world,
and will therefore be a prototype.

This means that India will be building two of a completely  untried reactor
design. The concerns over the collapse of Russian construction
infrastructure outlined above, and the delays and cost overruns in other
VVER projects are not even acknowledged by DAE.
It is essential that these be taken into account.

The VVER-1000/392 reactor design is based on the VVER-1000/320 reactor
design, which has many operating reactors in Russia and Eastern Europe.  A
variety of problems have arisen with attempts to complete and 'upgrade'
these reactors to so-called 'western' nuclear safety standards. While the
commitment by the NPC to the latest international design standards is
laudable, NPC makes no reference to the problems with the VVER1000/320
model which have been indicated in IAEA documentation, especially with
reference to the R4K2 plants. It is not at all clear if adequate design
changes have ben made in the VVER1000/392 design, to deal with these
problems.

These problems are set out by the International Atomic Energy Agency in a
publication known as the 'Issues Book'. According to the Issues Book, these
problems are the following:

*     The possibility that the steel reactor pressure vessel  may become
brittle, due to the effect of neutron bombardment of the steel. This would
make it possible for the vessel to crack open violently during an
emergency. This would probably (according to safety analyses by the US-
DOE) propel the head of the pressure vessel out through the containment
roof, causing a major radioecological catastrophe.

The government, when the detailed project report is done, needs to ask very
detailed and searching questions about steel composition, neutron flux, and
RPV integrity.

Concerns over RPV integrity and embrittlement have surfaced in hearings on
US plant safety in the 1970s,  and again in hearings on plant life
extension in the 1990s.  Concerns over RPV integrity in the VVER1000 plant
design due to a high concentration of nickel in the welds opposite the core
region have been outlined in the IAEA Issues Book  [IAEA-EBP-VVER-05 March
1996p17]

*    - The possibility that control rods may fail to insert properly
during an emergency. This has already occurred at a number of VVER-1000
plants in Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as in French PWR plants.

In many plants in France, costly replacement of the entire control rod
mechanism has had to take place. Failure of the control rods to insert
during an emergency is a serious failure, akin to having no brakes on a
car.

According to the IAEA, Rovno-3 has experienced control rod drop problems
repeatedly. Problems have also been experienced in 1992 at the
Zaphorozhye-1 plant.

*     The possibility that small tubes in the plants steam-generators
may fail, leading to uncontrollable leakage of very highly pressurized and
radioactive primary coolant into the low-pressure secondary system.  This
can lead to a loss of coolant accident with subsequent core meltdown if it
is large, as well as causing damage to other parts of the plant.

This has been a concern with respect to the VVER1000 design since the early
1990s. Steam- generator problems, according to  1992 IAEA workshop, account
for 21% of all VVER1000 outages.

In 1982, half the bolts of the closure head of the steam-generator header
at  Rovno-1 actually sheared off.

*     Problems with instrumentation and control systems and with
properly integrating Western (presumably Siemens) control systems and
Russian components, which have proven very difficult at the Temelin plant
in Czech Republic, accounting for much of the large cost overrun.

*     Problems with the detailed plant layout that have resulted in
there being a particular spot in the plant where main steam-lines cross
with important emergency systems. A main steam-line break such as might be
caused by a big primary to secondary leak, can here result in the main
steam line rupturing, and in turn destroying other essential safety
systems. It is essential that when the DPR for Koodankulam is done that
this issue of design is tackled.

We have outlined a series of specific issues that pertain to VVER-1000
safety.  It does not follow from this that only VVER-1000 reactors or even
only Russian reactors have these kinds of safety problems. These are in
many cases problems that have been recognised for many years in Western
(US, French and German) reactor designs also.  It is simply the case that
safety issues of one sort or another are inherent in ALL nuclear
technology, and all reactor designs.

We would oppose any specific plant design at Koodankulam. No plant type,
and no plant design, is the right design, since all nuclear technology
without exception is inherently unsafe.

3)  VVER1000 projects in Eastern Europe suffer from unreasonable escalating
cost estimates and hence have become the subject of strongest controversy
and opposition. The Temelin nuclear plant in the Czech Republic is
currently three years late in start-up, and the cost escalation is expected
to be over US$1billion (4,000 crores of rupees). According to recent Czech
government reports, it will be at least another 2 years delayed and another
US$1.2billion in cost overrun. It is quite possible that the Temelin VVER
project will collapse. Opposition both at domestic and international level
to the R4K2 project in the Ukraine has also been growing.

4)  The collapse in the Russian nuclear construction infrastructure is even
more a cause for concern.  Most of the best Russian engineers have left the
country, and construction programs for nuclear reactors within Russia have
all come to a grinding halt. It appears that the Department of Atomic
Energy of India has not made a full and correct assessment of these serious
developments and for reasons not known the Government of India is not being
given a full and complete picture of these serious developments which are
bound to reflect in the installation and commissioning of 2000 MW
Koodankulam project.

5) The temperature rise of the sea at Koodankulam is bound to affect
fishing and the discharge of radioactive pollutants into the sea is bound
to damage the health and the environment of the people there. The
experience already gathered shows that while the Madras Atomic Power Plant
at Kalpakam near Madras runs and discharges to sea at its present rated
capacity of 350 MW, the sea water temperature rises from 85 to 140 degrees
F. As a result, the fishermen at Kalpakam are able to catch only dead fish.
More over, the radiation levels mounted from the nuclear waste discharge
has already damaged the health of the people and the environment at
Kalpakam sea coast. If 350 MW could inflict such a damage at Kalpakam, what
would be fate of the fishermen and their environment at Koodankulam when
2000 MW nuclear plant (discharging roughly 6-7,000MwTh into the sea) goes
into operation ? Will it not turn the Tamilnadu coast into killing fields ?

6) The problem of safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel coming out of nuclear
power plants, could not be resolved even by the developed countries. Public
opposition to the construction of nuclear power plants led to abandoning
the plans to construct new nuclear power plants in USA, Canada, UK,
Germany, Sweden, Russia and other countries and it will be unwise for India
not to learn from the experience in these countries which are already
paying a heavy price for cultivating nuclear power to meet their energy
requirements.

7)  The additional fuel processing needed for feeding the Koodankulam
nuclear plant would further pollute the already polluted under-ground water
belt in Hyderabad,  the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The fuel needed for
all the India's nuclear power plants is processed by the Nuclear Fuel
Complex (NFC) at Hyderabad a land locked city. The present installed
capacity of the ten nuclear rectors in India is 1845 MW. While processing
the fuel for the existing 1845 MW capacity, the NFC is discharging daily
50,000 tons of nuclear waste water and much of this radioactive discharge
has already polluted the under ground water belt upto 10 kilometres radius
around the NFC. The Department of Atomic Energy itself has warned the
people of Ashok Nagar village near NFC not to drink well water. If the
present 1845 MW fuel processing has already polluted the underground water
belt at Hyderabad, what will be the situation at Hyderabad if an additional
2000 MW fuel for Koodankulam is to be processed ? Will it not make
Hyderabad a burial ground ?

8)  India is blessed with rivers. The utilisation of hydro potential of
India is not even 25 percent. By constructing small and medium size
hydro-power plants, one could get not only electrical power but also,
irrigation, drinking water, navigation and fisheries and damage to the
environment will be nil or negligible. On the other hand, the nuclear power
plants  pollute the environment with dangerous nuclear radiation the effect
of which remains for thousands of years threatening all forms of life on
earth. By avoiding the costly Koodankulam project, India could also find
funds for developing alternate sources of energy such as solar, wind and
tidal power.

Therefore, a relevant question is whether any nuclear reactor development
of this kind is in the interests of the Indian people ?

We believe that the interests of the Indian people will be put to total
jeopardy by the Koodankulam project and a public review of the entire
project is urgently needed.

The failure of the NPC, DAE and AERB to consider or even to acknowledge the
safety problems of VVERs in Eastern Europe is a matter that is in urgent
need of correction. These matters must be dealt with in detail in the
detailed project report, which must be made available for public comment in
full.

We call on you to cancel the entire project forthwith.

Yours Sincerely,

S.P. Udayakumar,  South Asian Community Centre for Education and Research,
Nagercoil, TN,
Kamlesh  Pande, Pune , India,
Kashyapa Yapa, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Az, USA.,
Prof. I.K. Shukla, Coalition for An Egalitarian and Pluralistic India,
Satish Kolluri, University of Massachusetts,
Nitin Malhotra, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA., USA.,
Bir Ganguly, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA., USA.,
Kiran Bhadiraju, University of Minnesota, USA.,
Rahul Pandey, IIT Bombay, India.
K.B. Pande, Pune,
John Dayal, India,
Anand Patwardhan, Bombay, India,
Hari P. Sharma, Indian Peoples Association in North America,
Fr. C.M. Paul, President, UNDA/OCIC, RNC Rd, Calcutta,
Prof Ziauddin Sardar, Editor, Futures,
Shubha Chacko, Centre for Education and Documentation, Bangalore, Karnataka,
Jharana Jhaveri, Anurag Singh, Sah Vikas Society, Delhi,
Vidhi Parthasarathy, Friends of Narmada Bachao Andolan, Madison, Wisc,
Harsh Kapoor, South Asians Against Nukes, Combaillaux, France,

Tanveer Ahmad Meer, SDPI, Pakistan (Islamabad)
Shirkat Gah, Lahore Pakistan,

Valdimir Sliviak, Social- Ecological Union,  Russia,
Alisa Nikoulina, Antinuclear Campaign in the Ex-USSR,
Alexandra Koroleva, Baltic Regional Resource Centre of Ecodefense,
Galina Ragouzhina, 'Ecodefense' Russia,
Profesor Alexey Yablokov, Centre for Russian Environmental Policy,
Gennady Andreev, Tomsk Agency for Biocomputers and Human Ecology, Tomsk,
Russia,
Yury Urbanski, National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, Kiev, fx380-44-221-2808.
Alla Shevchuck, Social-Ecological Union, Odessa, Ukraine,
Andrey Zatoka, Chair, Social- Ecological Union/Institute for Biodiversity
in Central Asia, Turkmenistan,
Linas Vainius, Lithuanuan Green Movement, Lithuania,
Ira Lobko, For Mother Earth, Belarus, Minsk, Belarus,
Vladimir Garaba, Environmental Movement of Moldova,

Ben Pearson, Nuclear Campaigner, Greenpeace International, Amsterdam,
Dirk Bannink, World Information Service on Energy,  Amsterdam,
Ophelia Cowell, MDB Energy Project, Netherlands,
Daniel Schwartz, The Zhaba Collective, Amsterdam,
Marjan Willemsen, For Mother Earth, Netherlands,
Josef Puehringer, Anti-Atom International, Vienna, Austria,
Upper Austrian Platform Against Nuclear Power Plants
BIU- Buergerinitiative Umweltschutz, Czech Republic,
Centrum Energie, Czech Republic,
Jan Beranek, Hnuti Duha, Brno, Czech Republic,
Matthias Reichl, Centre for Encounter and Active Non-Violence, Bad Ischl,
Austria,

Dr Karl Lindemann, People of the Eiffel Against Nuclear Technology, Germany,
Reguel Stienbock, Greenpeace Finland,
Pentti Malaska, Futures Research Centre, Helsinki Finland,
Bjorn Hejskov Neilsen, OOA Denmark,
Commander Rob Green, Disarmament and Security Centre, Christchurch, NZ,
World Court Project, London, UK.
Tigger mc Gregor, Youth and Student CND, London., UK.
Jenny Maxwell, West Midlands Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, UK.,
Steve Conn, Strathclyde University, Third World First Society, U.K.,
Kenneth James Moon, Swansea Earth Action, University of Swansea, Wales, U.K.,
Droitwitch Earthrise, Worcs, UK.,
Lorraine Mann, Scotland Against Nuclear Dumping, UK.,
John Manoocheri, Oxford University One World Group, Oxford, UK.,
Kathleen Sullivan, Centre for Human Ecology, Edinburgh, Scotland,
Solange Fernex,Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, France,
Felicity Hill, Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, NY, Geneva,
Cora Weiss, Vice-President, International Peace Bureau, Geneva,
International Peace Action,

Alice Slater, Global Resource and Action Centre for the Environment, NY, US.
Ellen Thomas, Chair, Proposition - One Committee, Washington DC, USA.,
Michel Marriotte, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, US,
Molly Johnson, Save Ward Valley, California, US,
Ellen Connett, Waste-Not, NY, US.
Bill Smirnow, Nuclear- Free New York, NY, USA.
Greg Wingard, Executive Director, Waste Action Project, US.
Sandra Schwartz, American Friends Service Committee, Pacific Mt office, San
Francisco, CA.
Susan Gordon,  Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Seattle, Washington, USA.
MH Segal, Humboldt Organised for People and the Environment, US,
Barbara Hicknell, Coordinator, Alliance to Close Indian Point, NY., US.
Charmaine Subjec, Air, Water Earth, Arizona.
Sean Donahue, New Hampshire Peace Action,
Susan Alzner and Leigh Lytle, Earth Challenge, US,
Chris Trepal, Earth Day Coalition,
Joe Mirabile, Eco-Bridge, San Francisco,
Alica Mc Combs, President, Earthwins,
Linda Peertz, Safe Energy Communication Council, US,
Susan B. Griffin, Chenengo North Energy Awareness Group, N.Y.,
Pat Birnie, Arizone Safe Energy Coalition, Ariz, US.
Nukewatch USA, Wisconsin,
Harvey Wasserman, Citizens Protection, Ohio,
Michael Welch, Redwood Alliance, California,
Barbara Weidener, Grandmothers for Peace International,
Elfrieda Berryhill, Chair, Coalition for Nuclear Power Postponement,
Bernard J. August, Chair, Committee Against Plutonium Economics, Delaware,
U.S.,
Allan Muller, Director, Green Delaware,
Mark D. Stansbury, Community Organising Centre, Columbus, Ohio,
Grace Thorpe, National Environmental Coalition of Native Americans, USA.,
Marion Pack, Executive Director, Alliance for Survival, California, USA.,
Christine Witowski, Southern Coalition Opposing Plutonium Energy,
Wendy Oser, Nuclear Guardianship Project, Berkley, CA., USA.,
Elizabeth Shafer, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy.,
Chuck Johnson, Centre for Energy Research, Salem Oregon,
Susan Shaer, Womens Action for New Directions, Mass, USA.,
Bruce A. Drew, Prairie Island Coalition,
Harvey Wasserman, Citizens Protecting Ohio,
Bill Pfeiffer, Sacred Earth Network, Massachusettts, USA,
Reinhard Knutsen, Shundahai Network, Nevada, USA.,
Jonathan Mark, Stop Cassini Flyby,
Beryl Schwartz, Peace Action New Mexico,

Joan Russow, President, Green Party, Canada,
Anne Adelson, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace,
Niel Sinclair, New Green Alliance, Canada,
Marion Penna, ICUC, Saskatoon, Canada,

Irene Bloemink, FOE Netherlands,
John Hallam, Nuclear Campaigner,   Friends of the Earth Sydney,
Gabriel Rivas- Ducca, FOE Costa-Rica,
Briggite Parnigoni, Friends of the Earth Austria (Global 2000).
Jan Kunnas, Chair, Friends of the Earth Finland, Helsinki,
Ricardo Navarro, Friends of the Earth El Salvador (CESTA)
Viktor Khazan, Friends of the Earth Ukraine (Zeleney Zvit) Ukraine,
Linas Vainius, Vice-Chair, Lithuanian Green movement/FOE Lithuania
Manana Kochladze, FOE Georgia/Georgia Greens, Tblisi, fx 995-32-35-16-74.
Juraj Zamkovsky, Friends of the Earth Slovakia, Bratislava,
Rachel Western, Friends of the Earth U.K.,
Laars Skaarup Mainz, Friends of the Earth Denmark, Copenhagen,
Kika Pitsillidou, Friends of the Earth Cyprus, Limassol, Cyprus,
Dr Angelika Zahrnd/Stefan Rostock, Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND)
Daniela Stojanova, Secy, Friends of the Earth Macedonia,


Jabiluka Action Group, Victoria,
Merril Findlay, Imagine The Future Inc, Fitzroy, Aust,
Rowena Skinner, Environment Centre of W.A., Perth, Aust,
Liam Phelan, People for Nuclear Disarmament, NSW., Aust.,
Deborah metters, Arid Lands Environment Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Aust,
Igor O'Neill, Mineral Policy Institute, Sydney, Australia,
Beryl Brugmans, Northern Territory Environment Centre, Darwin, NT., Aust.,

Mika Obayashi, C.N.I.C., Tokyo, Japan.
Green Party Taiwan, Taipei Taiwan,
Tony Stevenson, World Future Studies Federation, Bacolod, Phillipines.,



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------------------------------

Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:24:28 -0800
From: "David Crockett Williams" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Unity Foundation GPW2000 support letter

Following is the text of a Global Peace Walk support letter from the
President of the Unity Foundation in San Francisco.   A printable copy of
the signed original is posted at
http://www.egroups.com/group/global-peace-walk/200.html as a efax attachment
linked to bar at bottom of that archived post which may be read/printed per
instructions there.

The master working schedule for Global Peace Walk 2000 is posted at
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/schedule.html with hyperlinks in the
text to local area flyers for towns en route of the walk and a link to
detailed route maps whose focus will be refined in the coming days and weeks
as exact details of walk route are confirmed.  The master schedule
information supercedes any conflicts with this route map in progress
syestem.

A selected list of letters and proclamations of support for the walk with
links to the texts of each is at
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/listproc.html

The main Global Peace Walk site is http://www.globalpeacenow.org and an
additional info site is at http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/gpw.html


==========================

UNITY FOUNDATION
Promoting World Peace, Cooperation & Unity for 24 Years

January 1, 2000

To Whom It May Concern

It is my pleasure to write a Letter of Support for Rev. Yusen Yamato and The
Global Peace Walk.

I am the founder and president of Unity Foundation, a non-profit
organization with a 24 year histroy of promoting world peace, cooperation
and unity.  Since 1986, I have had the honor of working with Rev. Yusen
Yamato, a Buddhist Monk and Global Peace Walker, whose tireless efforts to
promote peace have been inspiring and empowering thousands upon thousands of
people around the world, including many thousands who have attended events
which Unity Foundation has produced or co-produced.  These events have
included:  The Celebrations of the 20th and 30th Anniversaries of the Summer
of Love, the Unity'95 Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Founding of
the United Nations, the Amercian Soviet Rock &  Roll Summit, Unity'98
Celebrating Racial Harmony in San Francisco commemorating the one year
anniversary of The President's Initiative on Race, and the 1999 State of The
World Forum's public event --Creating a Culture of Peace for the 21st
Century.  Rev. Yusen Yamato has presented a Peace Ceremony for each of these
special events.

Rev. Yamato has also continually walked for Global Peace since long before
1995, when he conducted The Global Peace Walk from the United Nations in New
York City to San Francisco in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the
Founding of the United Nations.  He has also led numerous regional Global
Peace Walks.   Beginning on January 15th, of this year 2000, Rev. Yamato
will again walk from San Francisco to the United Nations in New York City,
in commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the Founding of the United
Nations.

Rev. Yusen Yamato is an extraordinary person who has dedicated his life to
creating global peace.  Since the promise of the New Millennium is peace on
Earth, I humbly request your support for the selfless efforts of Rev. Yamato
and The Global Peace Walk.  Through your support you will be helping to make
the promise of peace on Earth in the 21st Century a reality.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Bill McCarthy
Founder and President

744 Treat Avenue, San Francisco, California 94110
phone: [phone]  fax: [phone]  email:  [e-mail]



=========fwd by:

David Crockett Williams  [e-mail]
Outreach & Local Coordinator, Tehachapi CA
Global Peace Walk 2000
http://www.globalpeacenow.org
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/gpw.html

GLOBAL  EMERGENCY  ALERT  RESPONSE
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000

The Vision of Paradise on Earth
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/vision.html

Urge your Congressperson to support H.R. 2545
Global Nuclear Disarmament & Economic Conversion Act
Details & Sample Email:  http://prop1.org/prop1/letter.htm

Easy indexed site to email Congresspeople & Media
http://congress.nw.dc.us/wnd
(copy & paste email letters to media and Congress)

An Agenda for Peace
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000/agenda.html



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------------------------------

End of abolition-usa-digest V1 #246
***********************************

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