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Rain cancels nuclear sub accident drill in Nagasaki



Index:



Rain cancels nuclear sub accident drill in Nagasaki

Indian Point Reactor Sale Approved

Cleveland Clinic Doctors Develop Breast Shield 

U.S. must do more to protect top-secret data -GAO

Taiwan wants to test waters with more submarines

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



Rain cancels nuclear sub accident drill in Nagasaki



SASEBO, Japan, Aug. 30 (Kyodo) - A drill for citizens in Sasebo, 

Nagasaki Prefecture, to prepare for an accident involving nuclear 

submarines was canceled Thursday due to heavy rain. 



The event was to be the first of its kind in Japan. The southwestern 

Japan city, where more than 10 U.S. Navy nuclear subs make port calls 

each year, planned the drill to protect its citizens from radiation 

in the event of an accident. 



About 100 police, firefighters and coast guard officials and roughly 

100 citizens were to practice a procedure under which people are 

guided to concrete buildings thought to protect against radiation. 



The city has drawn up guidelines for a nuclear sub disaster since the 

high-profile fatal accident in September 1999 at a nuclear fuel 

processing plant in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture. 

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



Indian Point Reactor Sale Approved



ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - State utility regulators approved the sale 

Wednesday of Consolidated Edison's Indian Point 1 and 2 nuclear 

plants to Entergy Nuclear Point 2 LLC. 



Included in the transaction are the Indian Point 2 reactor, which is 

operational, and the retired Indian Point 1 reactor. The defunct 

reactor building is used to store nuclear fuel. 



Also included are three gas turbines, various ancillary facilities 

and the property in the town of Buchanan in Westchester County where 

the Indian Point plants are located. The Toddville Training Center in 

the Town of Cortlandt, in Westchester County, was also included in 

the sale. 



The state Public Service Commission said Con Ed will receive $502 

million for its assets plus $107 million for nuclear fuel and fuel 

oil. However, Con Ed will transfer $430 million to Entergy to cover 

decommissioning costs. 



Under terms of the transaction, Entergy will have responsibility for 

decommissioning Indian Point, disposing of spent nuclear fuel and 

restoring the Buchanan site when the nuclear plant is no longer 

operational. 



Also under the sales agreement, Entergy will sell all of the 

electricity generated at Indian Point 2 to Con Ed through 2004. Con 

Ed also retains options for the future purchase of Indian Point-

generated power for the remainder of the decade. 



PSC approval was the last governmental hurdle the Indian Point sale 

had to pass. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission signed off on the deal 

earlier this week. 



Entergy Corp., of which Entergy Indian Point 2 LLC is a division, is 

based in New Orleans. 



Entergy already owns the former New York Power Authority nuclear 

plant at Indian Point and NYPA's Fitzpatrick nuclear plant in Oswego 

County near Lake Ontario. 



Counting Indian Point 2, the company owns nine nuclear plants around 

the country and earlier this month made a bid on a tenth, the Vermont 

Yankee nuclear plant. 

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



Cleveland Clinic Doctors Develop Breast Shield to Protect Women from 

Risks Associated with Breast Treatment 'Scatter Damage'

  

CLEVELAND, Aug. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Specialists at The Cleveland 

Clinic who provide radiotherapy for women with breast cancer are 

pioneering use of a shield designed to protect healthy breast tissue 

from "scatter damage" that might be caused by radiation that spills 

over from the treatment area to the healthy breast on the opposite 

side. 



Development of the breast shield and the risk for contralateral 

breast cancer risk are outlined in a series of recent papers 

published by the Cleveland Clinic Research Group. The latest 

developments will be reviewed in a major paper appearing in the 

September issue of Radiotherapy & Oncology, the Journal of the 

European Society For Therapeutic Radiology And Oncology. Roger M. 

Macklis, M.D., chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at 

The Cleveland Clinic, said researchers were prompted to develop the 

breast shield by the growing use of radiotherapy for women who 

receive breast-conserving treatment for breast cancer. 



Dr. Macklis acknowledged that the risk for contralateral breast 

cancer has yet to be fully recognized in scientific literature. He 

said, however, that taking this precaution makes sense, given what is 

known about radiation exposure and breast cancer. 



"As far back as studies of the victims of the atomic bomb in 

Hiroshima and before, doctors have known that breast cancer 

development is a risk of radiation exposure," Dr. Macklis said. "At 

the same time, radiation is a powerful therapy for the eradication of 

already existing cancer cells. In most radiation treatment centers, 

few, if any, precautions are taken to protect the healthy breast from 

scattered radiation.  With the use of our new shield, however, 

doctors everywhere soon may be able to provide women with significant 

protection from this potential danger." 



Dr. Macklis emphasized that radiation risks to healthy breast tissue 

in radiotherapy treatment appear to be insignificant for a majority 

of women. The review of data on contralateral breast cancer risk, 

however, indicates there might be a small group of patients with 

known epidemiological risk factors who may be at increased risk of 

developing second breast cancers in the opposite breast. 



"This group might consist of women with either a very positive family 

history, known BRCA1/2 genetic mutations or patients with very early 

onset of breast cancer diagnosis," Dr. Macklis said. "There should be 

additional large scale clinical studies to analyze the risk of breast 

radiotherapy in this potentially high-risk group. 



"These studies, however, will take many years to evaluate. In the 

meantime, it makes sense to reduce radiation exposure for all groups 

to the lowest reasonable levels," Dr. Macklis said. "We thought it 

would be unreasonable to limit the breast-sparing treatment options 

to women in the higher risk groups. We, therefore, decided to develop 

a device and a technology to minimize scatter-related risk for all 

patients." 



Dr. Macklis said a team of Cleveland Clinic radiation oncologists and 

physicists developed the first working model of the mobile breast 

shield in 1999. A clinical trial demonstrated the shield cut the 

radiation dose to healthy breasts by 60 to 70 percent. The breast 

shield technology is now available to virtually any woman receiving 

radiotherapy for breast cancer at The Cleveland Clinic. 



"We believe that if we have a way to block this scatter radiation, we 

should block it. And we believe that if this increases patient 

satisfaction and provides a greater sense of security in choosing 

breast-conserving treatment options, this protective device should be 

available to any woman who is receiving radiotherapy for breast 

cancer," Dr. Macklis said. "We want to be proactive in eliminating 

this potential source of concern." 



The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, founded in 1921, integrates clinical 

and hospital care with research and education in a private, not-for-

profit group practice. Approximately 1,100 full-time salaried 

physicians at The Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida 

represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 

2000, there were more than 2 million outpatient visits to The 

Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Patients came for treatment from every 

state and from more than 80 countries. There were more than 51,000 

hospital admissions to The Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2000. The 

Cleveland Clinic website address is www.clevelandclinic.org . 



MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here   



http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X31307277  

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



U.S. must do more to protect top-secret data -GAO

  

WASHINGTON, Aug 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Energy has made 

some improvements but has a long way to go to tighten security at its 

nuclear weapons laboratories, a General Accounting Office report said 

on Wednesday. 



The department, which handles an estimated 10 million classified 

nuclear arms documents, has been criticized for its  handling of the 

spy probe of Taiwan-born scientist Wen Ho Lee. 



Lee, who was charged in late 1999 with mishandling classified nuclear 

weapons data, eventually pleaded guilty to one count of downloading 

nuclear weapons design secrets to a non-secure computer. Lee was 

released from jail after nine months with an apology from a federal 

judge for the U.S. government's handling of the case. 



"DOE has recently taken, and continues to take, steps to upgrade 

protection and control over its classified information but additional 

steps are needed," the GAO wrote in a study requested by Republican 

Rep. Billy Tauzin of Louisiana. The GAO is the investigative arm of 

Congress. 



The report took issue with the DOE's decision to eliminate some 

procedures for top-secret documents such as requiring authorization 

to copy documents and maintaining a list of who has access to them. 

In dropping the procedures, the department cited the time and cost 

involved. 



"These accountability measures provide an additional level of control 

for top secret information," the GAO report said. "DOE's statement 

that these requirements are not cost effective is not supported by 

cost data or a cost-benefit analysis or study." 



The report also urged the DOE to meet its autumn 2001 deadline for a 

plan in development the past eight years to increase security for 

certain classified information about weapons design. The department 

had yet to finish drafting the plan, issue it for public comments, 

make revisions and publish a final version, the GAO said. 



Joseph Mahaley, director of the Energy Department's security office, 

defended the department's procedures. 



"In all cases, line management and individual owners of classified 

information are executing the appropriate rigor and formality in 

granting access to classified information," Mahaley said in a letter.



He also said the Energy Department would "ensure the issuance" of the 

plan to increase security for weapons design information. 

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



Taiwan wants to test waters with more submarines



ABOARD THE SEA TIGER, Aug 30 (Reuters) - The crew of Taiwan's Sea 

Tiger submarine went on combat alert after radars detected a 

suspicious object. Torpedo tubes were flooded and ready for firing. 



It was a routine drill aboard the Dutch-made Zwaardvis class 

submarine, The Sea Tiger, and its identical sister vessel, the Sea 

Dragon -- Taiwan's only combat-ready submarines. 



Taiwan has long sought to upgrade its feeble fleet of four submarines 

which also includes a pair of Guppy II's --  rusty relics of World 

War Two. 



But nobody has dared deliver the goods to Taiwan since China 

downgraded relations with the Netherlands from 1981 to 1984 over its 

sale of the two diesel-electric submarines. 



China, for its part, maintains a fleet of about 60 to 70 submarines. 



Only a handful are thought to be operational, but Beijing has spent 

billions of dollars on four Russian Kilo class diesel submarines that 

give it a clear edge over Taiwan, according to U.S. officials. 



China regards Taiwan as a rebel province and has threatened to attack 

if the island declares independence or delays reunification talks 

unduly. 



"The two (Dutch) submarines are in excellent condition," said Peter 

Wang, security officer of the Sea Tiger, at a naval base in southern 

Taiwan. "We are well trained and ready to fight. But we need more." 



Taiwan's pleas for more submersibles had been left unanswered until 

earlier this year when U.S. President George W. Bush agreed to sell 

eight diesel submarines in the biggest arms sale package in more than 

a decade. 



But months have passed and it is unclear how the United States will 

provide the vessels because it builds only nuclear submarines, not 

diesel ones. 



A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS 



Experts have said the submarines would likely be Dutch-designed and 

German-built boats equipped with U.S. technology and supplied under a 

deal brokered by the United States. But the Netherlands and Germany 

have denied they would export or build submarines for Taiwan. 



"We are still talking with the U.S. side," said a Taiwan naval 

officer who declined to be identified. 



Chung Chien, a military expert who teaches in the Armed Forces 

University, said the United States would likely help the island build 

the vessels. 



A spokesman for Taiwan's state-run China Shipbuilding Corp said the 

firm could build the submarines -- with help. 



Washington also plans to sell Taiwan four Kidd class destroyers and a 

dozen P-3 "Orion" anti-submarine aircraft. 



But the submarines will make the biggest splash. 



Officials and analysts agree Taiwan's biggest threat is not 

conventional warfare, but a Chinese missile attack or naval blockade.



With submarines, Taiwan could thwart an amphibious attack from China 

and give its navy an offensive capability. 



Beijing argues submarines are not defensive weapons and should not be 

provided under the U.S. Taiwan Relations Act, which obliges 

Washington to provide the island with enough arms to defend itself. 



New submarines could undermine China's three main options for 

retaking Taiwan -- amphibious assault, naval blockade and missile 

strikes, defence analysts say. 



In combination with Taiwan jet fighters, they could scupper an 

amphibious assault launched from China's east coast. 



But more worrying for Beijing, the submarines could eventually be 

used to launch cruise missiles to respond to or pre-empt a missile 

attack from the mainland. 



Commander Wang, who has served aboard the Sea Tiger since shortly 

after Taiwan took delivery of the two vessels in 1987, said he was 

confident the sub would soon get undersea companions. 



"We have overcome the biggest obstacle -- the United States has said 

yes. I have never felt so confident." 



German nuclear waste reaches French plant

  

ROUEN, France, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A train carrying spent German 

nuclear fuel arrived at a processing plant in France on Thursday on 

schedule, despite pledges by environmental protesters to block the 

shipment, the rail company SNCF said. 



The convoy containing 12 radioactive spent fuel rods reached the 

Valognes station near the La Hague reprocessing plant in northern 

France shortly after 2 a.m. (0000 GMT). 



Some 20 anti-nuclear campaigners gathered on France's northeastern 

border with Germany on Wednesday as the shipment crossed into France, 

but they did not try to physically stop the train as protesters have 

done in the past. 



Germany's transport of nuclear waste for reprocessing abroad resumed 

in April after a three-year interruption. This followed an agreement 

between the country's federal government and the power industry on 

the abandonment of nuclear energy by 2020. 



As part of the deal, the reprocessing of fuel rods abroad will be 

allowed until 2005. In return, Germany has agreed to take back the 

reprocessed waste. 



In the past, activists have chained themselves to the rail tracks 

ahead of the oncoming train, forcing it to stop and adding hours to 

its journey across northeastern France. They have so far not 

succeeded in stopping a delivery altogether.



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

Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	

Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    

ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.			E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           

ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          

Costa Mesa, CA 92626                    



Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/scperle

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com



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