Czech Temelin plant shuts down again after glitch

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@EARTHLINK.NET>]

Index:



Czech Temelin plant shuts down again after glitch

Police beef up security around U.S. bases, nuke plants

Catawba Nuclear Station Sets Records

Musharraf says nuclear installation under threat

DOE Extends Public Comment Period on Scrap Metals Policy

Breakthrough Digital Radiography System From Canon Medical Systems

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



Czech Temelin plant shuts down again after glitch

  

PRAGUE, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Safety systems shut down the nuclear 

reactor at the highly controversial Czech power station Temelin on 

Thursday after another in a string of technical glitches at the plant 

fiercely opposed by neighbouring Austria. 



A Temelin spokesman said in a statement the reactor was shut down due 

to a problem at the plant's turbine during one of numerous tests on 

the station before it goes to full operation. 



The statement said the station would be brought back on line later on 

Thursday after an analysis of the situation. 



The Soviet-designed station, upgraded with a U.S. control system, has 

suffered a number of unplanned quick shutdowns since it was first 

launched last October. 



Staunchly anti-nuclear Austrians have said the troubles confirm fears 

that the station, built just 60km (37 miles) from their border, is 

unsafe and should be shut down completely. 



Temelin plans to conduct further tests at the reactor before putting 

it on a one-year trial operation at full capacity, now scheduled to 

occur by year-end. 



Temelin's owner CEZ plans to commission a second reactor at the 

station in several months. It has insisted that occassional emergency 

shutdowns are normal during the testing period at most nuclear 

stations. 



The over $2.5 billion station is a significant asset of CEZ, a 

majority state-owned company due to be privatised by early 2002. 

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



Police beef up security around U.S. bases, nuke plants



TOKYO, Sept. 20 (Kyodo) - The National Police Agency (NPA) instructed 

police forces across Japan on Thursday to step up security around 

U.S. military and other facilities and nuclear power plants as part 

of short-term measures in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks 

on the United States. 



NPA officials said police in Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka and 17 other 

prefectures have deployed police personnel around some 150 American 

military and non-military facilities, in addition to about 200 

nuclear power plants, airports and other key facilities. 



Some of these police forces are increasing the number of officers 

assigned to an unspecified number of these American and Japanese 

facilities, and officers assigned to the facilities now wear 

bulletproof vests and helmets, the officials added. 



Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced a seven-point plan 

Wednesday night on Japan's response to the terror attacks. The plan 

includes dispatching the country's Self-Defense Forces to provide 

logistical support to U.S. forces in the event of military 

retaliation. 

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



Catawba Nuclear Station Sets Records

  

YORK, S.C., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Catawba Nuclear Station set two 

reliability records before its unit 2 was taken off line for a 

planned maintenance and refueling outage last week. 



Both units at the Duke Power-operated facility remained on line for 

238 consecutive days.  Unit 2 had been operating continuously for 463 

days.  Both are station records. 



"Our highly skilled, professional team is dedicated to reliably 

meeting the energy needs of our customers," said Gary Peterson, vice 

president, Catawba Nuclear Station.  "This record is an example of 

what a motivated team can do with proper planning and a focus on 

safe, quality operations." 



Catawba Nuclear Station is a two-unit power plant located on Lake 

Wylie in York County, S.C.  Each of its units produces enough 

electricity to power a city the size of Charlotte.  Catawba unit 1 

began commercial operation in 1985, unit 2 in 1986. 



The Catawba Nuclear Station is owned jointly by North Carolina 

Municipal Power Agency Number 1, North Carolina Electric Membership 

Corp., Piedmont Municipal Power Agency, Saluda River Electric 

Cooperative, Inc., and Duke Power. 



Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation's 

largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively 

priced electricity to approximately two million customers in North 

Carolina and South Carolina.  Duke Power operates three nuclear 

generating stations, eight coal- fired stations, 31 hydroelectric 

stations and numerous combustion turbine units.  Total system 

generating capability is approximately 19,300 megawatts. More 

information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: 

www.dukepower.com. 



Duke Energy, a diversified multinational energy company, creates 

value for customers and shareholders through an integrated network of 

energy assets and expertise.  Duke Energy manages a dynamic portfolio 

of natural gas and electric supply, delivery and trading businesses --

 generating revenues of more than $49 billion in 2000.  Duke Energy, 

headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is a Fortune 100 company traded on 

the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK.  More information 

about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-

energy.com. 

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



Musharraf says nuclear installation under threat



ISLAMABAD, Sept. 19 (Kyodo) - Pakistani President Gen. Pervez 

Musharraf said Pakistan's failure to cooperate with United States in 

a military attack against Afghanistan would damage its strategic 

assets, including its nuclear capability and a fledgling missile 

program. 



Addressing the nation on television, Musharaf said Pakistan's 

survival was at stake and Pakistan was faced with very worst crisis 

of its history since the separation of East Pakistan in 1971. 



He said the U.S. determination to find Saudi militant Osama bin 

Laden, who was fingered by the U.S. as the prime suspect in the Sept. 

11 terror attacks in New and Washington, does not target Islam or the 

people of Afghanistan. 



The U.S. has requested Pakistan provide intelligence data on 

Afghanistan, logistical support for its forces and allow access to 

Pakistani airspace, he said. 



Reading a prepared speech in a military uniform, Musharraf called on 

Pakistanis to support his decision to help the U.S. find those 

responsible for the terrorist attacks. 



''Our decisions at this time in history could have grave and far-

reaching consequences. Our survival could be endangered,'' he said. 



He said Pakistan's failure to cooperate with Washington would have 

led to serious setbacks to Pakistan's ''critical concerns'' and 

''strategic assets'' -- its nuclear capability, the missile program 

and the territorial dispute with India over Kashmir. 



''A wrong decision could lead to unbearable loss,'' he said, noting 

that Pakistan was faced with a choice between evil and lesser evil. 



''We have opted for the lesser evil'' he said 



Musharraf said while Pakistan's decision to help the U.S. could put 

his country in danger if it produces bad results, Pakistan could 

emerge as a powerful nation if it succeeds. 

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



DOE Extends Public Comment Period on Scrap Metals Policy; Public 

Meeting Scheduled for Minneapolis on October 16

  

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The Department of Energy 

(DOE) has extended the public comment period (by 60 days) for a 

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on the disposition 

of scrap metals across its complex. 



Four additional public scoping meetings have been scheduled, 

including one in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 16, from 2-5 p.m. 

and 8-10 p.m., at the Zuhrah Shrine Center, 2540 Park Avenue. 



The PEIS is being prepared as part of the department's initiative 

announced in late January 2001, to provide for an open discussion on 

the disposition of scrap metals resulting from environmental 

recommendations and cleanup activities.  Specifically, the PEIS will 

address policy options for managing those metals located in 

radiological areas on DOE sites, and any other scrap metals at DOE 

sites that might have some potential for residual surface 

radioactivity. 



The department held six public scoping meetings in July and August 

2001. During these meetings, DOE received requests for additional 

meetings, as well as an extension of the scoping period.  In 

response, the department has extended the scoping period by 60 days 

to November 9, 2001, and has scheduled four additional public 

meetings.

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



Prominent Radiology Group in Washington State Installs Breakthrough 

Digital Radiography System From Canon Medical Systems



  

IRVINE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 20, 2001-- 



First-Of-A-Kind System In Western U.S. Will Significantly Improve 



Patient Diagnostic Services And Workflow 



Canon Medical Systems, a division of Canon U.S.A., Inc., announced 

that it successfully completed the first western U.S. clinical 

installation of the Canon CXDI-22 Digital Radiography (DR) system 

integrated with Imaging Suite software from IDX Systems Corporation, 

a leading provider of medical software. 



IDX Imaging Suite is an innovative web-based system that provides 

intelligent digital workflow and bi-directional communication between 

IDXrad (RIS), PACS, and modalities. Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a 

subsidiary of Canon, Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). 



The Canon CXDI-22 was installed last April at Inland Imaging North 

Center in Spokane, Washington. Two additional systems will complete 

the installation by the end of the year. Inland Imaging is a 36-

physician radiology group with eight offices throughout the city. 



Integrating the IDX Imaging Suite with the Canon DR environment 

eliminates the need for manual entry of patient/study order 

information into the Canon DR system. This reduces total study time 

and the potential for human error. It streamlines x-ray diagnostic 

procedures by providing access to patient/study order information on 

the DR operation screen. Using a web browser, technologists see an 

electronic work list of patients and study orders without requiring 

paper requisitions. Once images are acquired by the DR system, 

Imaging Suite automatically notes the status. This two-way 

communication between the modality and the RIS is enabled by the 

tight integration of the DR system and the Imaging Suite. 



"The DR system combined with the IDX Imaging Suite means referring 

physicians can receive the images and diagnostic reports on their 

patients faster and begin patient treatment sooner to speed them on 

their way to recovery and improved health," said Jon Copeland, chief 

information officer, Inland Imaging. "Even more exciting, Digital 

Radiography opens the door to becoming filmless. Today, all DR images 

are printed on laser film. But in the near future, these images will 

be part of a filmless radiology system that distributes and stores 

images digitally for faster and more reliable access." 



Penny Doolittle, technical operations coordinator at Inland Imaging, 

said key advantages of the new system include time management 

improvements and greater medical efficiency. 



"The advantage of DR for patients is reduced wait time," said Ms. 

Doolittle. "Physicians will see advantages in that they can now see 

soft tissues, bone detail and lungs instantly, all optimized on the 

same image. The addition of our Canon DR system has drastically 

increased the efficiency of our radiology operations. We're 

processing more patients in less time than ever before and with fewer 

operational errors." 



The first commercially available bucky sensor system, the Canon CXDI-

22 (FDA510(k) approved in 1999), enabled technologists to preview x-

ray images within three seconds of exposure. The large dynamic range 

reduces the need for retakes. Since it is filmless, time is not 

wasted waiting for the return of developed images. 



The Canon DR System provides digital sensors that offer a totally 

filmless economical solution to traditional analog x-ray film 

equipment. With the industry's largest imaging area, 17-inches x 17-

inches, the slim flat panel can be inserted into new or existing 

bucky tables and mounted on tilting wall and universal stands. A 

crystal-clear diagnostic image is available quickly, within just 30 

seconds after the pre-view images are confirmed by the technologist 

and sent to a PACS and/or a DICOM printer. A matrix of over seven 

million pixels produces high-resolution images in 4,096 gray scale 

for superior resolution and contrast. Researchers have found that 

digital systems reduce exam time by as much as 62 percent. 



"Canon Medical Systems is delighted that this joint effort with IDX 

Systems Corporation has resulted in the first successful commercial 

installation of a Canon DR System integrated with the IDX Imaging 

Suite technology," said Eric Kuramoto, director and general manager, 

Canon Medical Systems Division, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "We are looking 

forward to further implementing this application throughout the 

Inland Imaging network and helping actualize a region-wide state-of-

the-art filmless network." 



Canon and IDX will demonstrate this integration and further 

enhancements at the upcoming Radiological Society of North America 

(RSNA) show in Chicago, November 26 - 30. 



The only service in Spokane that is ICAVL (Intersocietal Commission 

for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories) accredited in all 

four areas of noninvasive vascular testing, Inland Imaging provides 

radiology services, including CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, breast 

imaging and ultrasound, to the eastern Washington area with emphasis 

on problem solving and prompt, concise reporting. Inland Imaging 

radiologists are committed to providing the best service available to 

patients and their physicians. Using the most advanced imaging 

technology available, Inland Imaging strives to provide cost 

effective, high quality and convenient medical imaging to their 

patients. 



Canon Medical Systems (CMS), based in Irvine, California, is a 

division of Canon U.S.A., Inc. CMS was created in April 1999 to 

provide medical facilities with a single source from which to 

purchase Canon's innovative Digital Radiography systems and PACS 

technology thereby streamlining costs associated with diagnostic 

procedures.



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

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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