[ RadSafe ] [Nuclear News] German nuclear reactor operators willing to go to court to stop early shutdown

[Sandy Perle]

Index:

German nuclear reactor operators willing to go to court 
X-ray radiation doses continue to fall 
Radiation Could Come From Unexpected Sources
Heightened radiation background at IRM not an emergency
New Radiation Therapy Treatment Developed For Head And Neck Cancer 
Japan Nuclear Plant Not Safe to Restart After Quake, Group Says 
RPB to put up a radioactive waste processing facility soon
ASEAN Nations to Discuss Nuclear Safety
Greenpeace urges ASEAN to scrap civilian nuclear power plans
Howard's nuclear meltdown
Guinea seeking nuclear power 
Japan Nuclear plant checkup intervals to be extended to 24 months
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German nuclear reactor operators willing to go to court to stop early 
shutdown 

BERLIN (Thomson Financial) Aug 23  - Federal Environment Minister 
Sigmar Gabriel said electricity company managers have rejected the 
idea of early closures of ageing nuclear reactors, parts of which are 
over 30 years old, and would be willing to take legal action to stop 
that happening. 

In their meeting with Gabriel today, E.ON AG, RWE AG, Energie Baden-
Wurttemberg AG (EnBW) and Vattenfall Europe AG managers said they are 
sticking to their applications to extend the lives of older reactors 
and are willing to enforce them in court, he said. 

They told Gabriel they would guarantee the safety of all their 
plants, regardless of their ages. 

Gabriel insisted that some older plants need attention. To improve 
their safety, he said it is necessary to transfer capacity to newer 
atomic reactors. 

"Doing so would increase confidence markedly" in the companies, said 
Gabriel. 

The parties did manage to agree on steps to improve the "safety 
culture," though, he said. Periodical safety checks will be carried 
out more quickly and maintenance communication methods will be 
examined. 

The talks between Gabriel and the nuclear operators follow a number 
of recents incidents. A fire broke out at Vattenfall's Kruemmel 
atomic power plant on June 28, a fortnight after a capacity overload 
at its one in Brunsbuettel. 
-------------------

X-ray radiation doses continue to fall 
Medical Procedure News 

(News Medical Net) Aug 21 - The amount of radiation to which patients 
are exposed when they have medical x-rays is continuing to fall, 
according to the Health Protection Agency's latest five-yearly review 
of the National Patient Dose Database.
There has been an average reduction in dose over the last five years 
in routine x-ray examinations of between 10 to 20%. This is mainly 
due to the ever increasing sensitivity of x-ray equipment. There is 
also far greater awareness of exposure levels in patient doses since 
the introduction of national reference doses in the early 1990s. This 
degree of awareness needs to be maintained, particularly in relation 
to digital imaging systems which are increasingly being introduced.

The National Patient Dose Database was established in 1992 to collate 
the doses received by patients during routine x-ray examinations in 
hospitals throughout the UK. Previous reviews were published in 1995 
and 2000 and the latest report looks at data collected between 
January 2001 and February 2006. About 288,000 dose measurements have 
been analysed for medical x-ray examinations and therapeutic 
procedures, such as insertion of a pacemaker, in which x-rays are 
used. The information in the latest review has been contributed by 
radiology departments in 316 hospitals across the UK .

The review provides national reference doses for 38 different x-ray 
procedures carried out on adults and four types of x-ray examinations 
on children. The aim is to enable hospitals to check where their x-
ray dose levels sit on the national scale. The reference doses 
presented in the latest review are on average about 16% lower than 
those in the 2000 review, and have more than halved over the last 20 
years.

For the first time the review includes analysis of doses from dental 
x-ray examinations. These were gathered from more than 3000 dental 
practices throughout the UK. National reference doses are presented 
in this review for x-ray examinations of the full set of teeth and 
for x-rays of single teeth.

In producing this review, the Agency has worked closely with hospital 
physicists and radiology department staff who supplied patient dose 
data, and with the Dental X-ray Protection Service who supplied 
dental dose data.
------------------

Radiation Could Come From Unexpected Sources
Medical Radiation Shows Increase Over Past Years

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Channel 4 News Aug 21 -- An I-Team investigation 
revealed that residents could be exposed to radiation from an 
unexpected source.

The radiation does not come from low-level waste dumped at an area 
landfill, it comes from other people, and the radioactive levels are 
higher.

The radiation is the beneficial kind from hospital tests and 
treatments, but I-Team reporter Demetria Kalodimos asked the 
question: Are too many patients getting too many scans or posing a 
risk to others when they leave the hospital? 

"You're suddenly looking at a lot of people getting a lot of 
exposure," said former Tennessee Director of Radiological Health Mike 
Mobley.

Mobley signed off on the first proposals to bury low-level 
radioactive waste at the Middle Point Landfill and said it was safe 
then and hasn't changed his mind.

Mobley set what he calls a miniscule exposure limit on the trash at a 
potential dose of 1 millirem per year to anyone who might live on the 
landfill site years later.

At about the same time in the early 90s, the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission set new limit of its own on the dose or exposure someone 
might get from friends, family or strangers who get radiation for 
medical reasons from 100 millirem to 500 millirem.

"I have a problem with that. What that means is that the person is 
significantly radioactive, so if people are on a bus with them or a 
person in another apartment can get 100 millirem from the person in 
another apartment," he said.

Not only are the doses larger, but there's been an increase in the 
number of medical tests that use radiation.

In the last 25 years, CAT scans have increased from 3 million 
procedures per year to 62 million; that amounts to one CAT scan per 
year for every five people in the U.S.

"In the early days, CT scans were only done of the head, now they´re 
on any body part which affects the impact of the dose," Mobley said.

Eighty-five percent of the doses from nuclear medicine tests come 
from heart scans that involve injecting radiation for imaging, and 
those patients are sent out to wait with other patients.

The practice and the radiation exposure raise questions.

Should a person take up an expensive hospital bed, just because 
they´ve had a nuclear medicine test? Is the quick release of these 
patients a cost-cutting measure by insurance companies?

Is it a clue to increases in certain cancers and are so many of the 
scans necessary?

No one is saying to not have the scan, but residents should make an 
effort to learn as much as they can and ask questions about 
precautions if a patient or a member of their family is having a test 
that involves radiation, according to Kalodimos.
-------------------

Heightened radiation background at IRM not an emergency
  
YEKATERINBURG, August 21 (Itar-Tass) - The briefly increased 
radiation background at the Institute of Reactor Materials (IRM) in 
Sverdlovsk Region was not regarded as an emergency situation, Itar-
Tass was told on Tuesday at the Press Service of the Emergency 
Ministry´s Department for Sverdlovsk Region. "The briefly increased 
background was not dangerous for the personnel or the environment. 
The Institute´s Directorate reported on this fact to the above said 
Department," Press Service officials noted. 

In turn, officials of the Press Service of the Beloyarsk Nuclear 
Power Plant said the heightened radiation background was recorded by 
means of the joint ASKRO system. Comments are being avoided at the 
Institute itself. 

Rosatom reports that the brief (less than five minutes) increase of 
the radiation background at the Institute of Reactor Materials in 
Sverdlovsk Region was recorded at 19.07 Moscow time Monday as a 
result of planned research work. 
-------------

New Radiation Therapy Treatment Developed For Head And Neck Cancer 
Patients

Science Daily - Most head-and-neck cancers that recur locally after 
prior full-dose conventional radiation therapy respond to Boron 
Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). These results were obtained in a 
Phase I/II study at the Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. The 
scientific director of the research program, professor Heikki 
Joensuu, University of Helsinki, considers the results clinically 
significant and very interesting. They open a new field for BNCT, 
since thus far BNCT has been evaluated only in the treatment of some 
brain tumours. 
The follow-up results of 12 patients diagnosed with cancer of the 
head-and-neck and treated in a prospective clinical trial were 
reported in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology 
& Physics. All patients had cancer of the head-and-neck that had 
recurred locally after surgery and conventional radiation therapy. 
Ten out of the 12 patients had substantial tumour shrinkage following 
BNCT, and in 7 cases the tumour disappeared completely. Adverse 
effects of treatment were moderate and resembled those of 
conventional radiation therapy. 

The study has been expanded, and up to 30 subjects will now be 
allowed to enter the study protocol.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a form of targeted radiation 
treatment for cancer. It is still considered experimental. In this 
method a boron-containing compound (boronophenylalanine) is first 
infused into a peripheral vein, following which the compound 
accumulates in cancer tissue. Cancer is subsequently irradiated with 
neutrons obtained from a nuclear reactor, which causes boron atoms to 
split within the cancerous tissue as a result from a boron neutron 
capture reaction. The resulting smaller particles cause a large 
radiation effect within the tumour tissue, which destroys cancer 
cells. 

The technique allows targeting of a high dosage of radiation to the 
tumour while allowing sparing of the adjacent normal tissues from the 
highest doses of radiation. Boron-mediated targeting of radiation 
allows treatment of patients who can no longer be treated with 
conventional radiation therapy. BNCT is administered as single one-
day treatment that may be repeated. 

The study was sponsored by Boneca Corporation, the spinoff company 
operating on the medical campus of the Helsinki University and the 
University Central Hospital. The treatments are carried out in 
collaboration with the Department of Oncology, Helsinki University 
Central Hospital, at the BNCT facility constructed at the VTT 
research nuclear reactor site located at Otaniemi, Espoo. The neutron 
radiation used in the treatment is provided by VTT.

Boneca Corporation's clinical research program includes also a phase 
I/II study that evaluates BNCT in the treatment of primary 
glioblastoma (a highly malignant brain tumour) and another clinical 
trial that assesses safety and efficacy of BNCT in the treatment of 
glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas (a type of brain tumour) 
that have recurred after conventional radiation therapy. 

"Our plan is to investigate BNCT in the treatment of cancers located 
elsewhere in the body that cannot be effectively managed by any known 
treatment," says professor Heikki Joensuu. 

"The current treatment is a result of a long period of research, a 
proof of academic expertise, and a model for effective collaboration 
between Helsinki University Central Hospital, University of Helsinki, 
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the company", says 
Boneca Corporation's managing director Markku Pohjola. 

Boneca Corporation is the only health care company focusing on BNCT 
in the world. Over one hundred cancer patients have received BNCT at 
its facilities.
------------------

Japan Nuclear Plant Not Safe to Restart After Quake, Group Says 

 Aug. 22 (Bloomberg) -- A nuclear plant in northern Japan, the 
world's biggest, that leaked radiation after being damaged by an 
earthquake last month is unsafe and should be shut down permanently, 
a group of scientists said. 

The magnitude-6.6 quake in Niigata prefecture left 11 people dead, 
and started a fire and caused leaks at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s 
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station near the city of 
Kashiwazaki. Tokyo Electric was criticized by Prime Minister Shinzo 
Abe for being slow in releasing information on the leaks. 

``It will be impossible to prove empirically that all of the plant's 
damage has been repaired,'' the group, headed by Kobe University 
Professor of Seismology Katsuhiko Ishibashi and Hiromitsu Ino, an 
emeritus professor of metallurgy at Tokyo University, said in a 
statement yesterday. 

Public trust in plant's safety will be hard to restore even if the 
facility isn't damaged beyond repair, the International Atomic Energy 
Agency said earlier this month after a four-day inspection. As well 
as being the third-biggest user of nuclear power after the U.S. and 
France, Japan is one of the world's most earthquake prone countries. 

Between 1997 to 2006 Japan had 89 quakes with a magnitude of at least 
magnitude-6, 12 of at least magnitude-7 and one with a magnitude of 
at least 8, Japan's National Research Institute for Earth Science and 
Disaster Prevention said on its Web site. 

Inspecting Plant 

Tokyo Electric said last month the plant was shaken more than the 
maximum assumed in its design. A spokesman said today the company 
wasn't aware of the group's demand. 

``The regulator is in the process of inspecting the plant, spokesman 
Hiroshi Itagaki said. ``We're waiting to hear the results of those 
inspections.'' 

Although damage to the plant appeared ``less than expected'' and the 
leaked radiation was within legal limits, the station's seven reactor 
cores haven't been examined and safety checks may take at least a 
year, IAEA safety inspector Philippe Jamet said. 

Damage to cooling pipes and monitoring systems may affect the plant's 
``safe long-term operation,'' according to the IAEA's report on the 
plant. 

``It's like a car that once had an accident,'' Jamet said on Aug. 17 
in Vienna. ``Although the car functions well, you may have doubts 
when you have to brake.'' 

Shaking caused by the earthquake may have made the plant's piping 
brittle and more likely to break, according to Ino. 

Japan's most deadly nuclear power plant accident occurred in 2004, 
when super-heated steam from a burst pipe killed five workers at a 
plant run by Kansai Electric Power Co. 

Cramped Confines 

``There's no way to determine how much the materials have been 
weakened,'' Ino the professor of metallurgy said, explaining that the 
cramped confines of nuclear power plants make complete visual and 
ultrasonic checks impossible. ``They'll have to rely on calculations 
and modeling.'' 

The group said hidden cracks and damage to the molecular structure of 
the plant's components increase the chance of an accident caused by 
part failure. Weakened metal also makes the plant vulnerable to 
earthquakes smaller than the one last month, they said. 

A history of accidents and safety cover-ups at the nation's utilities 
may make it more difficult to convince an already skeptical public 
the plant can be made safe to run. 

A 2005 IAEA survey showed only one in five Japanese believe nuclear 
power is safe enough to warrant new plant construction. Nearly as 
many people said nuclear power is dangerous and all plants should be 
shut down, according to the survey. The nation's 55 reactors produce 
one third of the electricity in a country which imports almost all of 
its oil and gas. 

Faking Reports 

Utilities including the country's two biggest power companies, Tokyo 
Electric and Kansai Electric Power Co., admitted in March to having 
faked safety reports on hundreds of occasions, the worst instance of 
which involved the cover-up of an uncontrolled chain reaction at a 
plant run by Hokuriku Electric Power Co. 

Tokyo Electric Chairman Hiroshi Araki and President Nobuya Minami 
resigned and Asia's biggest power company apologized in 2002 after it 
admitted to falsifying reports on power plant repairs since the 
1980s. The company, which supplies power to the world's biggest city 
and surrounding areas, was ordered to the shut all its reactors. 

The slow release of damage reports from Tokyo Electric in the 
aftermath of the July earthquake exacerbated public anxiety, 
according to the Cabinet Office's Nuclear Safety Commission, the 
country's top nuclear safety watchdog. 

``The inadequacy of the company's immediate response after the 
earthquake, such as the delay in disseminating information, has given 
local residents in particular deep concern,'' Atsuyuki Suzuki, the 
commission's chairman said on Aug. 20. 
---------------

The Radiation Protection Board to put up a radioactive waste 
processing facility soon

Kenya Broadcasting Company - Aug 20 - The Radiation Protection Board- 
RPB is waiting for a license to start the construction of a 
radioactive waste processing facility. 

The project is to be put up at the Karen-based Institute of Primate 
Research. 

It is expected to handle all liquid and solid radioactive materials 
produced by hospitals and other research institutions around the 
country. 

Although Karen residents have expressed concern over the location of 
the facility in a residential area, the RPB insists that the country 
desperately needs a facility to handle highly radioactive material.

RPB secretary, Joel Kamande, says the facility can be constructed 
anywhere and will be a specialized laboratory equipped to package 
radioactive waste to international standards before being taken to 
near surface repository away from the facility.
--------------------

ASEAN Nations to Discuss Nuclear Safety

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Southeast Asian countries agreed Thursday to set up 
a network to explore nuclear energy safety issues, a move that comes 
as more countries in the region turn to atomic energy as an 
alternative to expensive oil and gas.
 
Officials attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' 
annual Ministers on Energy meeting in Singapore noted that some 
countries were exploring civilian nuclear energy as an alternative 
energy source, a joint statement said.

Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are among ASEAN's members that have 
stated their intention to build nuclear power plants in the next 
decade.

The regional grouping said it would seek to "open more dialogues and 
to discuss the more viable nuclear technologies and exchange 
information on the development of nuclear energy as a sustainable and 
safe option," it said.

Senior energy officials will determine the composition of the network 
and report on it at next year's meeting.

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar said while countries 
seek to diversify their energy mix in ways that include civilian 
nuclear power, "they should also recognize the need for regional and 
international cooperation when dealing with these issues."

A senior Thai official said Wednesday at an energy business forum in 
Singapore that Thailand would proceed with plans to build a 4,000-
megawatt nuclear power plant, to supply electricity starting in 2020, 
despite protests from environmentalists.

Thailand sees nuclear energy as being efficient and cost-effective, 
with a low environmental impact, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Energy 
Kurujit Nakornthap said.

But Greenpeace activists said Thursday in Singapore that nuclear 
power was not only costly, but posed long-term risks to the region.

"It is a dangerous and costly choice to secure energy in the region 
because nuclear power plants pose risks for the long-term," said Nur 
Hidayati, Greenpeace Southeast Asia climate and energy campaigner.

"Our region is very dynamic -- geographically we are located around 
the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' and we are also the meeting point of 
several major tectonic plates," Hidayati said. "You cannot guarantee 
the safety of the nuclear power plant in this volatile region."

Countries such as Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, are 
prone to seismic upheaval due to their location on the so-called 
Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling 
the Pacific Basin.

A Philippine official had said recently that ASEAN will set up a 
safety watchdog to ensure that nuclear power plants in the region are 
not used to produce weapons or aid terrorists and other criminal 
groups. Malaysia reportedly said in July it will build a facility to 
monitor nuclear technology developments in Southeast Asia and to help 
keep the region free from weapons of mass destruction.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, 
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Energy ministers 
from Australia, India, New Zealand, China, Japan and South Korea were 
also attending Thursday's meetings.
------------------

Greenpeace urges ASEAN to scrap civilian nuclear power plans

SINGAPORE - Environmental group Greenpeace urged Southeast Asian 
energy ministers meeting here Thursday to scrap plans to harness 
civilian nuclear power for the region, citing safety concerns and 
weapons proliferation risks.

The call came as ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian 
Nations (ASEAN) began their annual meeting hosted by new ASEAN chair 
Singapore, with nuclear safety concerns expected to feature highly on 
the agenda.

At least three ASEAN member states, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, 
have announced plans to build nuclear power plants in a bid to cut 
dependence on crude oil and natural gas, but raising concerns over 
safeguards.

"One of the solutions (to energy needs) that they (ASEAN ministers) 
are proposing... is to build nuclear power plants," said Nur 
Hidayati, a climate and energy campaigner for Greepeace Southeast 
Asia.

"We say this is a very dangerous pathway if it is followed," she told 
a news briefing. "We say this is not a solution because it creates 
more problems and it will last a long time."

The ministers expect to discuss ways to secure vital energy supplies 
which are needed to fuel the region's economic growth.

"Reliable, affordable supplies are essential for Asia's continued 
growth and ASEAN is no exception," Singapore Deputy Prime Minister 
and Coordinating Minister for National Security S. Jayakumar said in 
a keynote address.

"As one of the world's fastest growing region, ASEAN will require 
increasing energy supplies to fuel our rapid pace of economic 
expansion."

While exploring ways to secure energy supplies, ASEAN should not also 
overlook alternative sources such as new-generation biofuels and 
civilian nuclear power, said Jayakumar who is also the minister for 
law.

As more countries plan to harness nuclear power for their energy 
needs, Jayakumar noted that ASEAN is now beginning to discuss nuclear 
safety issues among member states.

But Greepeace activists said the region does not have the expertise 
and the trained personnel to operate nuclear power plants, and warned 
of the dangers that plutonium -- which is a nuclear waste -- could 
get into the wrong hands.

Plutonium is a key ingredient for the making of a nuclear bomb.

During their annual meeting in Manila last month, ASEAN foreign 
ministers discussed how they can strengthen rules to ensure that 
civilian atomic energy is not used for non-peaceful ends.

Greepeace said ASEAN states also lacked the experience in storing and 
disposing radioactive wastes.

With the region prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it was 
unclear if ASEAN members have the capability to deal with a leaking 
nuclear power plant, it said.

Jayakumar, meanwhile, said in his speech the 10-member bloc will also 
sign a memorandum of understanding on an ASEAN Power Grid that 
"provides the essential framework" for the region to implement the 
project.

The ASEAN Power Grid is an ambitious plan to connect member countries 
to ensure continued power supply whereby countries with surplus 
reserves can sell to a neighboring country.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, 
the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam
-------------------

Howard's nuclear meltdown

Minister John Howard has moved to neutralise his nuclear power push 
as an election issue, promising that communities will be given the 
right to veto any proposed reactors.

In a major retreat aimed at heading off a Labor scare campaign in 
marginal seats, the Prime Minister said yesterday binding plebiscites 
would be held in areas where nuclear power stations were proposed.

The promise is a dramatic shift from Mr Howard's position last week 
when he said the location of nuclear power stations would be 
determined by commercial decisions.

Given he does not expect proposals for nuclear power plants for 10 to 
15 years, Mr Howard may never be held to account on his plebiscite 
promise.

However, Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane said he believed any 
future government would have to honour it. "It would be a pretty 
brave government in the future to strip away that right of 
communities," Mr Macfarlane said.

He said that while a plebiscite today on nuclear power stations would 
probably fail, the result in 15 years could be different as people 
realised the importance of lowering greenhouse gases.

Mr Howard has been advocating nuclear power as a way of reducing 
carbon emissions to counter climate change. Last year he said the 
Government would be "crazy in the extreme" if it blocked the 
development of nuclear energy, following the release of a report by 
his hand-picked nuclear energy taskforce.

The report, following an inquiry conducted by former Telstra chief 
Ziggy Switkowski, predicted Australia could have 25 reactors 
producing a third of the country's electricity by 2050.

However, the Coalition has become increasingly nervous about the 
issue, particularly after Labor launched a campaign warning voters of 
nuclear power stations in their areas.

On Wednesday Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile suggested a binding 
plebiscite, undercutting Mr Howard's previous refusal to fund local 
votes. Yesterday Mr Howard said the Government had decided to have 
binding local plebiscites following extensive community consultation.

"There has never been any intention to force these things on local 
people but it is my opinion that in 10, 15, 20 years' time public 
opinion will have shifted on this issue and people will see nuclear 
power as a very sensible alternative," Mr Howard said.

Dr Switkowski told The Age that during the inquiry last year, nuclear-
powered countries had agreed on the importance of winning community 
support and emphasised the challenges to getting the first one or two 
reactors accepted. "I don't think plebiscites are a silly idea; they 
recognise the importance of having community support in order to have 
a successful nuclear industry," he said.

"I think the nuclear debate in Australia has come a very long way in 
the past year, moving from poor understanding and suspicion to an 
informed debate. There is not yet widespread support but there is 
broad willingness to engage in debate."

But former mining executive Hugh Morgan, who earlier this year said 
his energy company was doing "preparatory work" to establish a 
nuclear business in Australia, said he was concerned that any debate 
would be hijacked by adverse campaigns and cheap media grabs.

"When you can't have a rational debate about recycled water or a pulp 
mill, getting around a nuclear power plant is a pretty big hurdle," 
he said.

Mr Morgan said there were substantial benefits for communities living 
near nuclear power stations overseas, including free electricity and 
educational facilities.

"A recent analysis in the US found that 77 per cent of the 
communities where there were already nuclear power plants would like 
to have another one and would be quite happy to live next door to 
one," he said.

Opposition environment spokesman Peter Garrett said Mr Howard could 
not be trusted on nuclear reactors and waste dumps.

Environmentalist Tim Flannery said he believed nuclear power was such 
a distant option for Australia that he could not imagine debate ever 
occurring on the location of reactors.

"You'd have to go a long way to find a community volunteering to have 
a nuclear reactor," he said.
------------------

Guinea seeking nuclear power 

Conakry IOL Africa Aug 23 - Guinea will start talks with the 
International Atomic Energy Agency on a nuclear energy programme 
after the discovery of uranium this month, becoming the latest 
African state seeking a nuclear solution to power shortages.

The poor West African nation announced at the start of August that 
Australian miner Murchison United had discovered commercially viable 
deposits of uranium at a jungle site at Firawa, some 600 kilometres 
(370 miles) east of the capital.

"To favour research and development in the area of alternative energy 
... the government authorises the foreign affairs ministry ... to 
start talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency," government 
spokesperson Justin Morel Junior told state television late on 
Wednesday.

As well as nuclear power, Junior said President Lansana Conte's 
government was interested in using uranium in agriculture, medicine 
and industry.

Uranium prices have quadrupled over the last two years as many 
countries have turned to nuclear power as a means of reducing their 
carbon footprint amid concerns over global warming and emissions 
targets set under the Kyoto Protocol.

Guinea President Lansana Conte, a chain-smoking septuagenarian who 
has ruled the former French colony since a 1984 military coup, has 
given uranium exploration contracts to two other companies, Nova 
Energy and Contico.

Mineral-rich Guinea, which was rocked by violent union protests 
against Conte's government at the start of 2007, contains a third of 
the world's proven reserves of bauxite, the raw material for 
aluminium.

Many African countries have expressed interest in atomic fuel to 
alleviate worsening power shortages across the world's poorest 
continent, which are hobbling economic development and holding back 
living standards.

In June, Uganda President Yoweri Museveni - whose country recently 
discovered uranium - told the leaders of the G8 industrialised 
nations that Africa needed nuclear energy to meet its burgeoning 
power demands.

South Africa is currently sub-Saharan Africa's only nuclear energy 
producer. It aims to raise the share of atomic power in its energy 
mix to 15 percent from 6 percent as it struggles to meet the demands 
of a booming urban population.

In north Africa, Algeria recently signed a nuclear cooperation accord 
with the United States, while Libya inked a similar deal with France 
last month. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, meanwhile, has 
expressed his determination to build a nuclear reactor before his 
term ends in 2012.

Africa was the world's leading producer of uranium 30 years ago and 
it currently accounts for around 20 percent of global output, after 
top producer Australia. Intelligence agencies have raised concerns 
about the radioactive mineral, particularly in war-torn states like 
Democratic Republic of Congo, being used by rogue states or terrorist 
organisations. 
-----------------

Japan Nuclear plant checkup intervals to be extended to 24 months

TOKYO (Japan Today) Aug 23 - The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency 
has decided to extend the interval between regular checkups of 
nuclear power plants from the current 13 months to 24 months, its 
sources said Thursday. 

While the decision reflects a strong demand from the electricity 
industry, requiring that nuclear plants operate for longer periods 
for more efficiency, it will definitely draw protests from local 
communities, especially in the wake of a powerful earthquake last 
month that damaged the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant. Under the 
new system to be introduced next fiscal year, the operators will be 
required to present data to the agency under the Economy, Trade and 
Industry Ministry, showing that prolonged operations will not cause 
any problems for the plants' equipment.

-----------------------------------------
Sander C. Perle
President
Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.
2652 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614 

Tel: (949) 296-2306 / (888) 437-1714  Extension 2306
Fax:(949) 296-1144

E-Mail: sperle at dosimetry.com
E-Mail: sandyfl at cox.net 

Global Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/