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Mining giant BHP Billiton says plans to increase the amount of radioactive material it sends to Darwin by rail will not be a risk to public health. The company wants to freight about 1.6 million tonnes of radioactive copper concentrate to Darwin each year if its proposed expansion of the Olympic Dam in South Australia gets the green light.

A study scheduled to be presented at a meeting of the Nevada Test Site Community Advisory Board May 6 shows the maximum possible exposure to a normal shipment of radioactive material -- from a truck parked at a rest area -- would be one-sixth the ordinary background radiation level in Nevada for a whole year. Ruth Weiner, with Sandia National Labs, will present an assessment of the risks of exposure to shipments of radioactive material to the CAB at 6 p.m., May 6 at the Bob Ruud Community Center. She is part of a program named RADTRAN.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) began a new phase of waste disposition Thursday, initiating the first shipment of Remote Handled (RH) Transuranic (TRU) waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M. These shipments complement the contact handled TRU waste shipments that have been occurring at SRS for almost a decade. TRU waste, a result of decades of defense-related research and development activities, is a special class of radioactive material consisting of clothing, tools, rags, debris and other such items contaminated with radioactive elements, with an atomic number greater than uranium. TRU waste is primarily contaminated with plutonium, and may also be mixed with hazardous chemicals.

A French anti-nuclear activist nicknamed the "unbending squirrel" managed to stop a train carrying uranium from a German processing plant in spectacular fashion, police said on Tuesday. Cecile Lecomte, 27, rappelled down a motorway bridge near the western city of Münster late on Monday night to hang suspended over a rail line, forcing the 25-car train carrying the enriched nuclear fuel to stop. Police climbing specialists then had to dangle off the bridge to remove her. It was the third time that Lecomte had succeeded in blocking trains from the Gronau processing plant in western Germany.

THE federal government has frowned at illegal trans-shipment of nuclear materials in and out of the country, just as it unveiled plans to checkmate the menace by installing radiation monitoring facilities across national boarders. The Presidential Adviser on Petroleum Matters, Emmanuel Egbogah, who disclosed this at the official commissioning of the first Radiation Portal Monitor in Nigeria, at the export wing of Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, over the weekend, said, although Nigeria has a nascent nuclear power programme, it has a matured, robust and rapidly growing peaceful nuclear non-power application. Egbogah however noted the federal government would no longer tolerate illegal and mishandle of radioactive materials in the country, as serious sanctions await defaulters.

The first container carrying spent nuclear fuel rods has left the Chapelcross plant in southern Scotland. Over the next three years it is expected about 300 similar journeys will be undertaken to remove 38,000 spent rods in total. It is part of the £800m decommissioning process at the Annan plant which ceased energy production five years ago.

"The Pacific Sandpiper, a specially built cargo ship with safety features far in excess of those found on conventional vessels, left Britain's Barrow port bound for Japan the other day. The security surrounding its departure on Jan. 21 indicates that something out of the ordinary is aboard. The Pacific Sandpiper and several sister ships make no port calls on their voyages between Europe and Japan because they carry potentially lethal nuclear material. In the Pacific Sandpiper's hold on this journey to Japan via the Panama Canal is only one item of cargo - a giant cylinder weighing more than 100 tons."

"Planned shipments of depleted uranium from the U.S. Department of Energy's South Carolina's storage site will not be shipped to Utah under an agreement negotiated Monday by Gov. Gary Herbert. "This is a monumental win for the state of Utah," Herbert said. "At one point, we were told these trains were all but on the tracks, making their way to Utah. The Department of Energy has now agreed, after we registered our concerns, that those trains will head elsewhere." In addition to derailing the two remaining shipments of 7,000 tons of the material, Herbert said federal regulators agreed to take back the depleted uranium that came in December if planned state changes to the disposal process fall through."

EnergySolutions Inc. opened its gates Sunday night to the latest shipment of depleted uranium from the Savannah River cleanup site in South Carolina. But the waste won't be buried just yet, under an agreement between Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Energy Department. Instead, the 5,408 drums of low-level radioactive waste will be unloaded tomorrow and placed in a specialized landfill cell for storage until Utah regulators have an opportunity to wrap up a proposed license change and a proposed regulation change. Dane Finerfrock, director of the Utah Division of Radiation Control, said his staff was on hand Monday to review the shipping papers for the waste and check the paperwork against the content of a sampling of drums. They will also be on hand to watch the drums be placed into the landfill cell, probably on Tuesday.

EnergySolutions Inc. opened its gates Sunday night to the latest shipment of depleted uranium from the Savannah River cleanup site in South Carolina. But the waste won't be buried just yet, under an agreement between Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Energy Department. Instead, the 5,408 drums of low-level radioactive waste will be unloaded tomorrow and placed in a specialized landfill cell for storage until Utah regulators have an opportunity to wrap up a proposed license change and a proposed regulation change. Dane Finerfrock, director of the Utah Division of Radiation Control, said his staff was on hand Monday to review the shipping papers for the waste and check the paperwork against the content of a sampling of drums. They will also be on hand to watch the drums be placed into the landfill cell, probably on Tuesday.

A U.S. Department of Energy spokeswoman says Nevada has been ruled out as an alternative disposal site for nearly 15,000 drums of depleted uranium from South Carolina currently scheduled to come to Utah. DOE spokeswoman Lauren Milone says the Nevada Test Site is being excluded from discussions about the waste because the DOE has agreed to conduct a statewide environmental impact statement before accepting any new waste there. Milone says doing that would probably take at least a year. The Savannah River Site waste is expected to begin coming to Utah this month unless the DOE decides to keep it in South Carolina.

A U.S. Department of Energy spokeswoman says Nevada has been ruled out as an alternative disposal site for nearly 15,000 drums of depleted uranium from South Carolina currently scheduled to come to Utah. DOE spokeswoman Lauren Milone says the Nevada Test Site is being excluded from discussions about the waste because the DOE has agreed to conduct a statewide environmental impact statement before accepting any new waste there. Milone says doing that would probably take at least a year. The Savannah River Site waste is expected to begin coming to Utah this month unless the DOE decides to keep it in South Carolina.

The U.S. Energy Department is trying to decide whether it should start shipping depleted uranium that was originally headed to Utah last fall. Federal stimulus money is paying for 15,000 barrels of uranium-enrichment waste from the Savannah River Project in South Carolina to be buried in the low-level radioactive waste site operated by EnergySolutions Inc. in Tooele County. But the Utah Radiation Control Board is months away from determining whether more DU, as the waste is often called, belongs in Utah. About 49,000 tons is already buried at EnergySolutions, but both state and federal regulators say a deeper technical analysis is necessary. Large amounts of highly concentrated DU becomes increasingly hazardous over the next million years.

The U.S. Energy Department is trying to decide whether it should start shipping depleted uranium that was originally headed to Utah last fall. Federal stimulus money is paying for 15,000 barrels of uranium-enrichment waste from the Savannah River Project in South Carolina to be buried in the low-level radioactive waste site operated by EnergySolutions Inc. in Tooele County. But the Utah Radiation Control Board is months away from determining whether more DU, as the waste is often called, belongs in Utah. About 49,000 tons is already buried at EnergySolutions, but both state and federal regulators say a deeper technical analysis is necessary. Large amounts of highly concentrated DU becomes increasingly hazardous over the next million years.

A Utah company is defending its decision to truck contaminated soil from Los Alamos National Laboratory into southern Colorado. Last week, EnergySolutions began shipping the soil by truck to Antonito, where it is loaded on to rail cars. The load is then shipped by rail to Walsenburg and then on to a storage facility in Clive, Utah, 74 miles west of Salt Lake City. The soil is from an area where conventional weapons were tested and contains depleted uranium and PCBs. Antonito is about 100 miles from Los Alamos and residents questioned why EnergySolutions didn't truck the soil to a closer railhead. The company says other transfer stations didn't work because they added more rail miles and because of a lack of daily rail service and multiple switching requirements.

A Utah company is defending its decision to truck contaminated soil from Los Alamos National Laboratory into southern Colorado. Last week, EnergySolutions began shipping the soil by truck to Antonito, where it is loaded on to rail cars. The load is then shipped by rail to Walsenburg and then on to a storage facility in Clive, Utah, 74 miles west of Salt Lake City. The soil is from an area where conventional weapons were tested and contains depleted uranium and PCBs. Antonito is about 100 miles from Los Alamos and residents questioned why EnergySolutions didn't truck the soil to a closer railhead. The company says other transfer stations didn't work because they added more rail miles and because of a lack of daily rail service and multiple switching requirements.

An official with the Utah company shipping contaminated soil from Los Alamos National Laboratory defended the company's decision to transfer its shipments from truck to rail at Antonito. "The Antonito transfer point is the closest viable option to Los Alamos," EnergySolutions spokesman Mark Walker said. "Other transfer point options were inferior largely due to an increase in rail miles required, lack of daily rail service or multiple railroad switching requirements."

An official with the Utah company shipping contaminated soil from Los Alamos National Laboratory defended the company's decision to transfer its shipments from truck to rail at Antonito. "The Antonito transfer point is the closest viable option to Los Alamos," EnergySolutions spokesman Mark Walker said. "Other transfer point options were inferior largely due to an increase in rail miles required, lack of daily rail service or multiple railroad switching requirements."

A Salt Lake City company that ships hazardous waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory agreed Thursday to suspend their transfer operation at Antonito for two days, while alarmed Conejos County officials decide how to regulate the operation. On Tuesday, EnergySolutions, which specializes in the recycling and disposal of nuclear material, began hauling contaminated soil by truck to Antonito where it transfers the waste to the San Luis & Rio Grande for shipment on to a company storage site in Clive, Utah. Mike Williams, the company's project manager, said the company hopes to ship up to 36 bags per day. He said they will contain up to 15,000 pounds per bag of soil contaminated with depleted uranium and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. But the county officials and residents, who found out about the project through word of mouth, were anything but generous toward the company's plans.

A Salt Lake City company that ships hazardous waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory agreed Thursday to suspend their transfer operation at Antonito for two days, while alarmed Conejos County officials decide how to regulate the operation. On Tuesday, EnergySolutions, which specializes in the recycling and disposal of nuclear material, began hauling contaminated soil by truck to Antonito where it transfers the waste to the San Luis & Rio Grande for shipment on to a company storage site in Clive, Utah. Mike Williams, the company's project manager, said the company hopes to ship up to 36 bags per day. He said they will contain up to 15,000 pounds per bag of soil contaminated with depleted uranium and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. But the county officials and residents, who found out about the project through word of mouth, were anything but generous toward the company's plans.

Two dozen protesters braved the cold Saturday morning to protest plans to ship more than 3,000 tons of depleted uranium through the state to Utah's western desert. The protest was organized by the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah as a train carrying the first of three planned shipments of depleted uranium nears the state. "We cannot allow this waste to be buried here, and we are asking Gov. Herbert to help us turn these trains around," said Christopher Thomas, policy director for HEAL Utah. Thomas said a compromise worked out between Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Department of Energy Thursday is inadequate. Under the agreement, the state will allow the first of three trains loaded with the radioactive waste to enter the state, but not to bury the material at EnergySolutions disposal site near Clive until additional safety measures can be taken.

Two dozen protesters braved the cold Saturday morning to protest plans to ship more than 3,000 tons of depleted uranium through the state to Utah's western desert. The protest was organized by the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah as a train carrying the first of three planned shipments of depleted uranium nears the state. "We cannot allow this waste to be buried here, and we are asking Gov. Herbert to help us turn these trains around," said Christopher Thomas, policy director for HEAL Utah. Thomas said a compromise worked out between Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Department of Energy Thursday is inadequate. Under the agreement, the state will allow the first of three trains loaded with the radioactive waste to enter the state, but not to bury the material at EnergySolutions disposal site near Clive until additional safety measures can be taken.

A trainload of depleted uranium was already set to begin rolling toward Utah Tuesday when a letter from Gov. Gary Herbert arrived at the U.S. Energy Department asking the agency to hold off on the shipment. The DU, as depleted uranium is often called, is highly concentrated waste from the cleanup of atomic-weapons making at the government's Savannah River site in South Carolina. And Herbert told Energy Secretary Steven Chu that Utah regulators need more time to make sure the EnergySolutions site in Tooele County can safely contain it. "As governor, my duty is to ensure the public health and safety of all Utahns," Herbert said in the letter. "As such, I ask that you immediately halt this and any future DU shipments from the Savannah River site until Utah completes its rule-making process."

A trainload of depleted uranium was already set to begin rolling toward Utah Tuesday when a letter from Gov. Gary Herbert arrived at the U.S. Energy Department asking the agency to hold off on the shipment. The DU, as depleted uranium is often called, is highly concentrated waste from the cleanup of atomic-weapons making at the government's Savannah River site in South Carolina. And Herbert told Energy Secretary Steven Chu that Utah regulators need more time to make sure the EnergySolutions site in Tooele County can safely contain it. "As governor, my duty is to ensure the public health and safety of all Utahns," Herbert said in the letter. "As such, I ask that you immediately halt this and any future DU shipments from the Savannah River site until Utah completes its rule-making process."

A trainload of depleted uranium was already set to begin rolling toward Utah Tuesday when a letter from Gov. Gary Herbert arrived at the U.S. Energy Department asking the agency to hold off on the shipment. The DU, as depleted uranium is often called, is highly concentrated waste from the cleanup of atomic-weapons making at the government's Savannah River site in South Carolina. And Herbert told Energy Secretary Steven Chu that Utah regulators need more time to make sure the EnergySolutions site in Tooele County can safely contain it. "As governor, my duty is to ensure the public health and safety of all Utahns," Herbert said in the letter. "As such, I ask that you immediately halt this and any future DU shipments from the Savannah River site until Utah completes its rule-making process."

Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Energy Department hammered out a deal Thursday that lets a trainload of depleted uranium come to Utah but only for temporary storage -- for now. Planned additional shipments of the low-level radioactive waste from the government's cleanup of the Savannah River, South Carolina, bomb-making facility are suspended pending a Utah site-safety review that is under way. "We simply will not accept any more depleted uranium for storage in this state until we are convinced that we have addressed all the safety parameters," said Herbert. The governor was unable to convince Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Tuesday to halt the shipment, but he called Thursday's agreement a "reasonable compromise." The 5,408 barrels of DU, as the waste is called, already on the way could only go into the ground for permanent disposal after the state completes its site-safety review. Herbert secured the agreement two days after the first of three shipments began rolling from South Carolina on train cars headed for Utah.

Gov. Gary Herbert and the U.S. Energy Department hammered out a deal Thursday that lets a trainload of depleted uranium come to Utah but only for temporary storage -- for now. Planned additional shipments of the low-level radioactive waste from the government's cleanup of the Savannah River, South Carolina, bomb-making facility are suspended pending a Utah site-safety review that is under way. "We simply will not accept any more depleted uranium for storage in this state until we are convinced that we have addressed all the safety parameters," said Herbert. The governor was unable to convince Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Tuesday to halt the shipment, but he called Thursday's agreement a "reasonable compromise." The 5,408 barrels of DU, as the waste is called, already on the way could only go into the ground for permanent disposal after the state completes its site-safety review. Herbert secured the agreement two days after the first of three shipments began rolling from South Carolina on train cars headed for Utah.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert sent Energy Secretary Steven Chu a letter Tuesday asking him to halt the shipment of nearly 15,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina for disposal in Utah. The Department of Energy is circumventing state regulators' efforts to ensure that a private disposal facility in Utah's west desert can safely dispose of the depleted uranium, said Herbert, a Republican. Depleted uranium is different from other waste EnergySolutions Inc. disposes of at its site because it becomes more radioactive over time for up to one million years. The South Carolina waste from the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C., is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process used to make nuclear weapons during the Cold War era.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert sent Energy Secretary Steven Chu a letter Tuesday asking him to halt the shipment of nearly 15,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina for disposal in Utah. The Department of Energy is circumventing state regulators' efforts to ensure that a private disposal facility in Utah's west desert can safely dispose of the depleted uranium, said Herbert, a Republican. Depleted uranium is different from other waste EnergySolutions Inc. disposes of at its site because it becomes more radioactive over time for up to one million years. The South Carolina waste from the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C., is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process used to make nuclear weapons during the Cold War era.

A U.S. Department of Energy spokeswoman says an agreement has been reached with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to temporarily store low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina before permanently disposing of it. State regulators say they need more time to determine whether depleted uranium can safely be disposed of at a private facility in Utah's west desert. Depleted uranium is different from other waste because it becomes more radioactive over time for up to one million years. Herbert and the federal agency reached the agreement on Thursday, days after the first rail car of depleted uranium left the Savannah River Site bound for the Utah site.

A U.S. Department of Energy spokeswoman says an agreement has been reached with Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to temporarily store low-level radioactive waste from South Carolina before permanently disposing of it. State regulators say they need more time to determine whether depleted uranium can safely be disposed of at a private facility in Utah's west desert. Depleted uranium is different from other waste because it becomes more radioactive over time for up to one million years. Herbert and the federal agency reached the agreement on Thursday, days after the first rail car of depleted uranium left the Savannah River Site bound for the Utah site.

Despite Gov. Gary Herbert's 11th-hour plea to stop it, the first shipment of depleted uranium is expected to arrive in Utah before the end of December. The Department of Energy acknowledged it has received a letter from the governor in which he wrote it is "prudent that there be further study" before the radioactive material comes to Utah. Herbert wrote the letter Tuesday. In a statement Wednesday, the DOE said that after careful consultation with the Utah regulators, it has decided to prepare 14,500 drums of depleted uranium at its Savannah River site in South Carolina for shipment and disposal at EnergySolutions facility in Clive, Tooele County. The first of three planned rail shipments has left the site and will reach Utah in the next two weeks. The second and thirds shipments are slated for 2010, according DOE spokesman James R. Giusti.

Despite Gov. Gary Herbert's 11th-hour plea to stop it, the first shipment of depleted uranium is expected to arrive in Utah before the end of December. The Department of Energy acknowledged it has received a letter from the governor in which he wrote it is "prudent that there be further study" before the radioactive material comes to Utah. Herbert wrote the letter Tuesday. In a statement Wednesday, the DOE said that after careful consultation with the Utah regulators, it has decided to prepare 14,500 drums of depleted uranium at its Savannah River site in South Carolina for shipment and disposal at EnergySolutions facility in Clive, Tooele County. The first of three planned rail shipments has left the site and will reach Utah in the next two weeks. The second and thirds shipments are slated for 2010, according DOE spokesman James R. Giusti.