Russia shuts nuclear plant over leak fears

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

Index:



Russia shuts nuclear plant over leak fears

Canada approves refueling of two Bruce reactors

Protest Held at U.K. Nuclear Power Plant

Japan to send nuclear-safety expert for IAEA inspection team

Introgen's ADVEXIN(R) Combined With Radiation Well Tolerated and ...

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



Russia shuts nuclear plant over leak fears



MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has shut a reprocessing plant at one of its 

biggest nuclear sites over fears it is contaminating drinking water, 

officials said Monday, in an unprecedented crackdown on crumbling 

nuclear facilities.



The plant is part of the Mayak facility in the formerly closed Urals 

city of Ozyorsk, the site of the worst nuclear disaster on Russian 

territory five decades ago, when hundreds of thousands of people were 

exposed to radiation.



Russia's nuclear safety agency, Gosatomnadzor, denied plant 235 an 

operating license for 2003 over fears that radioactive waste dumped 

into the nearby Lake Karachay and in specially built water tanks was 

tainting local water supplies.



Environmental group Greenpeace says anyone who stands by the lake for 

more than an hour could be exposed to fatal levels of radiation, 

which they say are 350,000 times higher than normal.



"Plant 235 is not working at the moment because it did not respect 

safety rules. We are now deciding on what conditions need to be 

fulfilled so that work can resume," said Andrei Kislov, a senior 

official at Gosatomnadzor.



A tank containing radioactive waste exploded at Mayak in 1957 and 

exposed 472,000 people to radiation in an accident long kept secret 

by Soviet authorities.



Ecologists greeted the move to close the plant as rare proof that 

Russia is finally coming to grips with the nuclear burden it 

inherited from the Soviet Union.



"Though Gosatomnadzor has done some good things, this is the first 

time we have seen a step at this level," said Greenpeace energy 

expert Vladimir Chuprov. "Unfortunately, there is a high possibility 

that a license will be granted soon, given the strong nuclear energy 

lobby pressuring the authorities.



"The only way to solve the problem is to shut down the plant once and 

for all. If the administration says they will solve the problem but 

leave the plant open, they are lying. The technology for this to be 

possible simply does not exist."



The lake is several times more radioactive than the area surrounding 

Ukraine's Chernobyl plant, the site of the world's worst civil 

nuclear accident.



The plant has dumped radioactive waste in the area since the 1950s, 

and it is unclear why a decision has been taken now.



Russian environment pressure group Ecodefence said by improving 

standards to satisfy U.S. State Department rules, the Russians hoped 

to win lucrative contracts to reprocess U.S. spent nuclear fuel. Some 

80 percent of the world's spent nuclear fuel stockpiles are under 

U.S. jurisdiction.

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



Canada approves refueling of two Bruce reactors



OTTAWA, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Canadian regulators have approved the 

refueling of two nuclear reactors owned by Ontario's Bruce Power, a 

federal spokeswoman said on Tuesday, helping pave the way for one of 

the reactors to resume operating in April.



"The actual written approval was granted at 6:30 p.m. last night by 

our designated officer," said Sunni Locatelli, a spokeswoman for the 

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.



Bruce Power still has to win formal approval to restart the reactors, 

which have a total capacity of 1,500 megawatts. But that looks likely 

now that Bruce Power's ownership has been sorted out in the wake of 

British Energy's <BGY.L> financial collapse and subsequent rescue by 

the British government.



"We are in the process to begin refueling later this afternoon, Steve 

Coupland, a spokesman for Bruce Power, told Reuters. "It is a very 

important milestone in the process of bringing back the reactors to 

service."



Late in December British Energy, which owned 82 percent of Bruce 

Power, said it would sell its stake to a consortium led by Cameco 

Corp. <CCO.TO>, the world's biggest uranium producer, for up to C$770 

million ($494 million).



Bruce Power is scheduled to appear at formal hearings of the Canadian 

Nuclear Safety Commission on Jan. 16 and on Feb. 26 for licenses to 

restart the reactors.



The company is also scheduled to appear briefly before the commission 

on Wednesday afternoon, with the main item being a review of the 

ownership restructuring. British Energy had to sell its Bruce Power 

stake as one of the conditions of London's bailout plan.



Bruce Power, a 6,140 megawatt nuclear station on Lake Huron, 

northwest of Toronto, said it will take about 45 days to refuel each 

reactor, adding that the added power should ease Ontario's supply 

concerns during the peak summer season.



Bruce Power currently produces about 15 percent of Ontario's 

electricity. It will generate more than 20 percent of the power used 

in Canada's biggest province once both reactors are running.

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



Protest Held at U.K. Nuclear Power Plant



LONDON (AP) - More than 30 anti-nuclear protesters used ropes, 

ladders and wire-cutters to break into the central control building 

of a nuclear power station in eastern England on Monday, the 

environmental group Greenpeace said.



Greenpeace, which campaigns for an end to nuclear energy, said it 

staged the break-in to expose poor security at the Sizewell B plant 

and other nuclear facilities.



``It is a terrifying thought that if we can do this then anyone 

can,'' said Rob Gueterbock, one of the protesters who occupied the 

plant's roof during the daylong demonstration. ``We wouldn't do 

anything to interfere with the plant, but if terrorists targeted a 

nuclear power station it would be deadly.''



Mike Harrison, maintenance manager at Sizewell B, condemned the 

protest as a stunt.



``It is a totally irresponsible and criminal act which has caused 

damage to the insulation after a fence was broken through and a door 

smashed,'' Harrison said, adding the protesters gained limited access 

to the plant.



``At no time was there any risk to plant safety or public safety.''



Suffolk police said the demonstration ended peacefully. Officers 

arrested 12 protesters, the force said.



Greenpeace said the protesters entered the complex from a public 

beach just after 6 a.m. by cutting through a wire fence. Some climbed 

onto the roof of the reactor dome, while others entered the central 

control building.



In October, more than 100 Greenpeace activists broke into the 

Sizewell B plant. Several climbed onto the roof of the building 

housing the cooling water pump, unfurling banners saying ``No More 

Nuclear.'' They climbed down after a day and were arrested by police.

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



Japan to send nuclear-safety expert for IAEA inspection team



TOKYO, Jan. 14 (Kyodo) - Japan will dispatch a science ministry 

official in charge of nuclear-safety issues to take part in arms 

inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iraq, 

the ministry said Tuesday.



According to the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology 

Ministry, Seiichi Takeda, 47, of the ministry's Nuclear Safety 

Division is expected to stay in Iraq for about two months from later 

this month.



The ministry said the dispatch follows a request from the IAEA, and 

that Takeda will be the second person sent by Japan in connection 

with the inspections, after Miharu Yonemura, 35, was sent to the IAEA 

headquarters in Vienna.



Takeda, who has a previous record of being dispatched to the IAEA, is 

now handling safety measures on nuclear fuel for Rokkasho village in 

Aomori Prefecture in northeastern Japan.



He came from what is now known as the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development 

Institute, a government-funded research and development organization.

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



Introgen's ADVEXIN(R) Combined With Radiation Well Tolerated and 

Shows Tumor Regression in Phase 2 Lung Cancer Study



HOUSTON, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Introgen Therapeutics, 

Inc. (Nasdaq:INGN) announced the publication of data from its phase 2 

study combining ADVEXIN, an adenoviral vector containing the p53 

tumor-suppressor gene, with radiation therapy.  The study, treating 

patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), showed that 

approximately 60% of patients' primary tumors regressed or 

disappeared after the combination therapy, as assessed by both 

biopsies and by CT scans three months after treatment.  Moreover, 

ADVEXIN administration did not appear to increase the side effects 

caused by radiation treatment.  These data were published in the 

January 2003 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.



The study was conducted at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson 

Cancer Center, under the direction of principal investigator Dr. 

Stephen Swisher, associate professor of thoracic and cardiovascular 

surgery.



"Locoregional control of lung cancer with radiation therapy alone is 

relatively poor," said Dr. Swisher.  "These results suggest that 

ADVEXIN may enhance the effect of radiation therapy at the local 

tumor site without significantly increasing toxicity.  Further 

randomized trials are needed to follow-up on these observations," he 

continued.



Background  



The phase 2 clinical study enrolled non-metastatic patients with non-

small cell lung cancer who were ineligible to receive surgery or 

combination therapy with radiation and cancer chemotherapy.  ADVEXIN 

was delivered via injection into the tumors, at a range of doses, 

over approximately one month.  Radiation therapy began at the same 

time, but was completed over six weeks.  Three months after 

treatment, examination of biopsies from the primary tumors showed no 

viable tumor cells in 63% of patients.  Radiographic assessment of 

the primary tumor by CT scan likewise showed that 63% of patients had 

a major response (complete or partial response).



Introgen is a leader in the development and production of gene-based 

drugs for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.  Introgen 

maintains integrated research, development, manufacturing, clinical 

and regulatory departments and operates a commercial-scale, cGMP 

manufacturing facility.  Through more than 20 clinical trials, the 

company has treated hundreds of patients with thousands of doses of 

its lead product candidate, ADVEXIN(R) p53 therapy. Introgen is 

conducting two controlled, randomized phase 3 clinical trials with 

ADVEXIN for the treatment of head and neck cancer, a phase 2 study in 

breast cancer, as well as phase 1 trials in prostate, ovarian, 

bladder, and brain cancers, and completed phase 2 studies in lung and 

head and neck cancers.

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



EDF Awards Framatome ANP Significant Fuel Supply Contract



PARIS, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 13, 2002, Electricite de 

France (EDF) and Framatome ANP, an AREVA and Siemens company, signed 

a contract valued around one billion euro for the supply of enriched 

natural uranium, reprocessed uranium and mixed plutonium and uranium 

oxide (MOX) fuel assemblies.



This new contract will cover a significant share of the fuel 

requirements for existing French nuclear reactors over the coming 

years. "The awarding of this new contract demonstrates Framatome 

ANP's ability to strengthen its leading position despite competition 

due to the gradual opening up of the fuel market by EDF. Framatome 

ANP is more than ever a partner able to contribute significantly to 

its customers' competitive edge," said Vincent Maurel, president and 

CEO of Framatome ANP.



The terms and conditions of this new contract meet specific EDF 

requirements regarding security of supply and flexibility, both in 

terms of annual fuel volume and meeting tight deadlines.



Framatome ANP (Advanced Nuclear Power), an AREVA and Siemens Company, 

is the world's premier nuclear supplier.  Framatome ANP's focus 

includes comprehensive engineering, instrumentation and control, 

nuclear services, heavy component manufacture, modernization, fuel 

assemblies for many reactor designs, including those supplied by 

other vendors, and the development and construction of nuclear power 

plants and research reactors.



Framatome ANP is headquartered in Paris with principal subsidiaries 

in the U.S. and Germany. In the company, AREVA has a 66 percent share 

and Siemens 34 percent. Framatome ANP has a total workforce of 

approximately 14,000 worldwide and posts annual revenues exceeding 

EUR 2.5 billion in 2001.



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

Sandy Perle

Director, Technical

ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service

ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92626



Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100  Extension 2306

Fax:(714) 668-3149



E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net

E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com



Personal Website: http://sandy-travels.com/

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



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