From: Jim & Roxy Weaver To: Date: Saturday, March 4, 2000 12:29 PM Subject: Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free - March 4, 2000 News Update KEEP YELLOWSTONE NUCLEAR FREE News Update - March 4, 2000 Welcome to the weekly online news update of Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free. Our goal is to bring you the latest developments, news, meeting dates, and actions you can take to Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Index: 1 Press Release: DOE restarting hazardous calciner at INEEL March 8. 2. Email this letter to Energy Secretary Richardson urging him to stop the calciner. 3. Newspaper headlines about BNFL's problems. 4. Harris Poll Results - February 18-20 5. Executive Director opportunity 6. March 20 - deadline for comments re: the HLW options at INEEL __________________________________________ 1. KEEP YELLOWSTONE NUCLEAR FREE DEMANDS A HALT TO THE RESTART OF THE NEW WASTE CALCINE FACILITY AT INEEL March 1, 2000 - Press Release Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Today, members of Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free (KYNF), citing a history of major environmental and safety problems, called on the Department of Energy to suspend the restart of a high-level radioactive waste incinerator, at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The DOE plans to restart the operation of a high level radioactive incinerator, also known as the New Waste Calcine Facility on March 8th and plans to operate it until the end of June to perform process tests. The current New Waste Calcine Facility (NWCF) was brought on line in 1982 and ran four "campaigns", the most recent being between May 1997 and May 1999. DOE wants to restart the calciner and run it through June of 2000, because the Department claims emission and waste characteristic data is needed to support an environmental permit application which DOE must submit to the State of Idaho in order to continue running the facility in the future. "The risks of restarting this dangerous operation are unacceptably high for the residents, workers and the environment. DOE is simply taking advantage of a regulatory loophole to perform risky experiments that they won't be able to do after June, when new Clean Air Act standards take affect." said, Berte Hirschfield, President of Keep Yellowstone Nuclear Free, in a letter to Energy Secretary, Bill Richardson. " This facility has a disturbing history of accidents, environmental contamination and excessive worker exposures." According to official records obtained from the Energy Department between 1991 and 1999: There were at least 18 incidents where equipment, and filter failures, power outages, and poor conduct of operations resulted in excessive atmospheric releases of radioactive materials. In some cases there was widespread and severe contamination. For example, in April 1992 employees were forced to remain indoors after an accidental release from the main stack went beyond the plant boundary. Five to six acres of land had to be decontaminated. In 1999, an explosion at the NCWF caused worker over exposures and significant damage to the facility. There were at least six fires at the facility. Inspectors found several instances where fire and radiation alarms were shut off. There were at least 18 incidents where workers were needlessly exposed to radiation. The high-level radioactive incinerator operated in an interim status under a 1992 "Consent Order" with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Idaho. "The incineration of high-level radioactive wastes cannot even be remotely compared to the incineration of municipal wastes, which were subject to more stringent regulatory requirements over the past 18 years," says Ms. Hirschfield. " The lax regulation and troubling operational record of the calciner at INEEL does not bode well for the proposed plutonium incinerator to be operated by British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL)." Ms. Hirschfield concluded, "There should be an independent review of the regulation and operation of the high-level waste incinerator by experts not affiliated with the DOE, before permits are granted for the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project." Contact: Mary Mitchell at: (307) 733-8679 ________________________________________ 2. URGENT: EMAIL this letter to Bill Richardson at: The.Secretary@hq.doe.gov The Honorable Bill Richardson Secretary U.S. Department of Energy Washington, D.C. 20585 Dear Secretary Richardson: The purpose of this letter is to express my strong opposition to the restart of a high-level radioactive waste incinerator at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, and to urge that you take the necessary steps to halt its future operation. Since the early 1960's the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory has operated a high-level radioactive waste calcining facility for the purpose of converting these waste to a solid and more stable form for storage. In doing so, this process involves the handling of extremely dangerous radioactive wastes - in which minuscule quantities can be lethal. The risks of restarting this dangerous operation are unacceptably high for the residents, workers and the environment. DOE is simply taking advantage of a regulatory loophole to perform risky experiments that they won't be able to do after June, when new Clean Air Act standards take affect. This facility has a disturbing history of accidents, environmental contamination and excessive worker exposures. The restart of the high-level waste calcine facility comes at a time when the state of Idaho is deciding on environmental permits for proposed Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP), which will involve the incineration of plutonium and hazardous wastes. This proposed incinerator carries with it a set of risks that the majority of the general public does not accept, and as you know, vehemently oppose. As you are aware, the company British Nuclear Fuels, Ltd. (BNFL) which is contracted to operate the proposed incinerator, is now subject to great controversy and official scrutiny by several nations because of safety and regulatory lapses. We urge you to initiate a review of all of DOE's contracts with BNFL, as is being done in several other nations, to ensure there are no misrepresentations that we will later regret. Furthermore, we request that an independent review be done of the regulation and operation of the calciner at the Idaho site by experts not affiliated with the DOE, before permits are granted for the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project. Thank you for your prompt attention to this very serious matter. Sincerely, _____________________________________ 3. HEADLINES from about BNFL's problems. Highlight, cut and paste the address to get entire article. BNFL under siege and 'fighting for its life' Scottish Sunday Herald - Feb 27, 2000 http://www.sundayherald.com/news/newsi.hts?section=News&story_id=7284 BNFL admits workers in England faked documents - Idaho incinerator company's British site criticized for safety oversight. By Jennifer Langston - Feb 27, 2000 - © Idaho Post Register http://www.idahonews.com/02272000/A_sectio/103299.htm If you would like additional articles on BNFL emailed to you, email me at jweaver@wyoming.com. There are many; I just don't have their URL addresses. ______________________________________ 4. Harris/excite Online Poll of February 18-20 Would you move if you found out that a nearby nuclear power plant had leaked radioactive waste? Yes: 63% = 29319 votes No: 21% = 9903 votes Don't Know: 14% = 6776 votes Total 45,998 votes _________________________________________________ 5. We are searching for an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. Visit our website for job description. www.yellowstonenuclearfree.com _____________________________________ 6. The deadline for comments re: the HLW options at INEEL is March 20, 2000. email: http://www.jason.com/hlwdeis Send to Tom Wichmann, Document Manager US Dept. of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, MS 1108 850 Energy Drive Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1563 * Visit our website at: www.yellowstonenuclearfree.com for information and links to other articles. * If you have comments, suggestions, or would like to be removed from this list, email us at: jweaver@wyoming.com * If you have a friend who would like to receive this News Update, have them email their name, address, phone number and email address to: jweaver@wyoming.com