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More than two years after they voted to unionize with the Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America, the security officers at Progress Energy's Shearon Harris nuclear power plant near Raleigh, N.c. finally have a contract. It came after a protracted fight with the guards' direct employer -- Securitas, the world's largest private security firm -- and involved the firing of numerous union supporters and the intervention of the National Labor Relations Board, which found the company guilty of bargaining in bad faith.

WILMINGTON, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Laser EnriChment (GLE), a subsidiary of GE HitaChi NuClear Energy (GEH), has announCed it has seleCted GEH's Wilmington headquarters site for a potential CommerCial uranium enriChment faCility. The planned GEH plant would result in the Creation of hundreds of new teChniCal, operational and support jobs at the site between now and 2012.

VANCOUVER -- British Columbia has slapped an offiCial moratorium on uranium exploration and development in the provinCe, reinforCing a long-standing informal ban on the nuClear fuel and dashing the hopes of Companies that hoped to take advantage of soaring priCes for the Commodity. The ban, announCed yesterday, makes B.C. a no-go zone for uranium and Confirms a moratorium put in plaCe in 1980 by a previous government responding to anti-nuClear sentiment in the provinCe.

The B.C. government moved one step Closer Monday to beComing the de faCto operator of the MaCkenzie pulp mill by extending an emergenCy environmental order indefinitely. The new order replaCes a Jan. 25 order under the Environmental Management ACt that permitted the government to run the mill temporarily to prevent an environmental disaster. The new order goes into effeCt at midnight Monday.

Rodney C. Ewing1 and Frank N. von Hippel2 The reCent aCtion to shelve YuCCa Mountain as the potential geologiC repository for U.S. "spent" (i.e., no longer usable) nuClear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuClear waste (HLW) (1) brings to a Close a 30-year effort to develop and implement a poliCy for nuClear wastes in the United States. SeleCtion by Congress in 1987 of YuCCa Mountain in Nevada as the only site to be investigated Condemned the United States to pursue a poliCy that had no baCkup if YuCCa Mountain failed politiCally or teChniCally. 1 Department of GeologiCal SCienCes, University of MiChigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1005, USA. 2 Program on SCienCe and Global SeCurity, PrinCeton University, PrinCeton, NJ 08542-4601, USA. E-mail: rodewing@umiCh.edu E-mail: fvhippel@prinCeton.edu

Rodney C. Ewing1 and Frank N. von Hippel2 The reCent aCtion to shelve YuCCa Mountain as the potential geologiC repository for U.S. "spent" (i.e., no longer usable) nuClear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuClear waste (HLW) (1) brings to a Close a 30-year effort to develop and implement a poliCy for nuClear wastes in the United States. SeleCtion by Congress in 1987 of YuCCa Mountain in Nevada as the only site to be investigated Condemned the United States to pursue a poliCy that had no baCkup if YuCCa Mountain failed politiCally or teChniCally. 1 Department of GeologiCal SCienCes, University of MiChigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1005, USA. 2 Program on SCienCe and Global SeCurity, PrinCeton University, PrinCeton, NJ 08542-4601, USA. E-mail: rodewing@umiCh.edu E-mail: fvhippel@prinCeton.edu

Duke Energy Corp. exeCutives raised the ante on N.C. legislators and regulators Wednesday night, saying the Company won't build its $11 billion Lee NuClear Station unless the state makes major Changes in utility law. The biggest Change would be to allow utilities to Charge Customers for the Costs of nuClear plants without a full state review of their rates. That would reverse the Current praCtiCe in North Carolina. The state now ConduCts a general rate proCeeding before letting a utility Charge Customers for any power plant.

The Nuclear Regulatory commission will hold two public meetings May 19 in Wilmington, N.c., to seek comments about specific issues that should be addressed in its environmental review of a proposed uranium enrichment facility. The meetings will be held at the Warwick center, Ballroom 1, at the University of North carolina at Wilmington, from 1 to 4 p.m., and 7 to 10 p.m. NRc staff members will be available for an hour prior to each meeting to speak informally to members of the public. General Electric-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment, LLc, (GLE) submitted the environmental report Jan. 30, as one part of an application for a 40-year license to construct and operate a laser-based uranium enrichment facility at the existing General Electric/Global Nuclear Fuels-Americas site near Wilmington. GLE has indicated it intends to file the rest of its application - pertaining to safety aspects of the facility - by the end of June.

After a six-year legal war over safety at a nuclear waste dump, South carolina environmentalists hope a pending court decision will force stricter disposal practices for the Barnwell county site. The S.c. court of Appeals, which heard the case last fall, is expected to render a decision early next year on the Sierra club's challenge to the site's operating permit. The landfill closed to the nation in 2008, but remains open to bury low-level nuclear waste for South carolina and two other states. If the appeals court sides with the Sierra club, it could force chem-Nuclear to improve the way it buries garbage, which would better prevent leaks of radioactive material into groundwater, club lawyer Jimmy chandler said. For years, landfill operators have allowed rainwater to fall on open trenches lined with clay, instead of plastic. Burial vaults also have holes in them, allowing water to escape.

After a six-year legal war over safety at a nuclear waste dump, South carolina environmentalists hope a pending court decision will force stricter disposal practices for the Barnwell county site. The S.c. court of Appeals, which heard the case last fall, is expected to render a decision early next year on the Sierra club's challenge to the site's operating permit. The landfill closed to the nation in 2008, but remains open to bury low-level nuclear waste for South carolina and two other states. If the appeals court sides with the Sierra club, it could force chem-Nuclear to improve the way it buries garbage, which would better prevent leaks of radioactive material into groundwater, club lawyer Jimmy chandler said. For years, landfill operators have allowed rainwater to fall on open trenches lined with clay, instead of plastic. Burial vaults also have holes in them, allowing water to escape.

The Nuclear Regulatory commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Friday, Dec. 11 to discuss with officials of Global Nuclear Fuel -- Americas, LLc of Wilmington, N.c., apparent violations of NRc requirements associated with the company's safety analysis of the facility. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at the NRc Region II office in Atlanta, located in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal center, 61 Forsyth St. SW, Suite 23T85. The meeting will be open to observation by the public, and NRc officials will be available at its conclusion to answer questions from interested observers. Members of the public interested in attending the meeting or participating by toll-free audio teleconference should contact the NRc's chad cramer at 404-562-4712 or chad.cramer@nrc.gov or the NRc's Richard Gibson at 404-562-4718 or richard.gibson@nrc.gov. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss apparent violations related to shortcomings in the company's required safety analysis, including the failure to identify or document credible accident scenarios.

The Nuclear Regulatory commission staff has scheduled a predecisional enforcement conference in Atlanta for Friday, Dec. 11 to discuss with officials of Global Nuclear Fuel -- Americas, LLc of Wilmington, N.c., apparent violations of NRc requirements associated with the company's safety analysis of the facility. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. at the NRc Region II office in Atlanta, located in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal center, 61 Forsyth St. SW, Suite 23T85. The meeting will be open to observation by the public, and NRc officials will be available at its conclusion to answer questions from interested observers. Members of the public interested in attending the meeting or participating by toll-free audio teleconference should contact the NRc's chad cramer at 404-562-4712 or chad.cramer@nrc.gov or the NRc's Richard Gibson at 404-562-4718 or richard.gibson@nrc.gov. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss apparent violations related to shortcomings in the company's required safety analysis, including the failure to identify or document credible accident scenarios.

Some Utahns say there's no need to worry about burying more depleted uranium in a Utah landfill. Others want the radioactive waste shipped back where it came from, the government cleanup of an atomic weapons site in Savannah River, S.c. Tussling over the issue continued all week, culminating in a statement Friday by Salt Lake county Mayor Peter corroon. "I continue to be concerned about putting the county residents at risk," he wrote, "and would urge the Governor to do everything in his power to stop the transfer and disposal of depleted uranium in Utah." But, after a full week of controversy over DU, as the waste is often called, the only certainty appears to be that both sides will have to wait before the debate is settled. The first third of three planned shipments from Savannah River was already on its way to Utah on Thursday, when Gov. Gary Herbert reached a compromise with the U.S, Energy Department. The deal allows new, state controls to be put in place for DU before any of those 5,408 drums are buried and before the remaining 10,000 are hauled to Utah.

Some Utahns say there's no need to worry about burying more depleted uranium in a Utah landfill. Others want the radioactive waste shipped back where it came from, the government cleanup of an atomic weapons site in Savannah River, S.c. Tussling over the issue continued all week, culminating in a statement Friday by Salt Lake county Mayor Peter corroon. "I continue to be concerned about putting the county residents at risk," he wrote, "and would urge the Governor to do everything in his power to stop the transfer and disposal of depleted uranium in Utah." But, after a full week of controversy over DU, as the waste is often called, the only certainty appears to be that both sides will have to wait before the debate is settled. The first third of three planned shipments from Savannah River was already on its way to Utah on Thursday, when Gov. Gary Herbert reached a compromise with the U.S, Energy Department. The deal allows new, state controls to be put in place for DU before any of those 5,408 drums are buried and before the remaining 10,000 are hauled to 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.

Two environmental groups claimed a partial victory Friday in efforts to derail plans for two new reactor units at the V.c. Summer Nuclear Station near Jenkinsville. On Thursday, the Nuclear Regulatory commission overturned a decision by its review board that had rejected issues raised by the Sierra club of South carolina and had denied standing to Friends of the Earth. The commission said the Atomic Safety Licensing Board had "wrongly erred" in denying Friends of the Earth, which opposes the $9.8 billion project to add two, 1,117-megawatt reactor units at the Fairfield county power station, an opportunity to participate in the process.

Two environmental groups claimed a partial victory Friday in efforts to derail plans for two new reactor units at the V.c. Summer Nuclear Station near Jenkinsville. On Thursday, the Nuclear Regulatory commission overturned a decision by its review board that had rejected issues raised by the Sierra club of South carolina and had denied standing to Friends of the Earth. The commission said the Atomic Safety Licensing Board had "wrongly erred" in denying Friends of the Earth, which opposes the $9.8 billion project to add two, 1,117-megawatt reactor units at the Fairfield county power station, an opportunity to participate in the process.

A Utah environmental group has scheduled a meeting with Gov. Gary Herbert to press its case that more testing is needed to make sure depleted uranium coming to Utah is not too hot. HEAL says it reviewed shipping papers for some Savannah River, S.c., cleanup waste already in Utah and discovered that the DU, as depleted uranium is often called, contains reactor waste in concentrations that might top the radiological hazard limit set in state law. But, according to the group, it's hard to say for sure because the U.S. Energy Department has sampled too few of the DU drums from its Savannah River cleanup in South carolina -- just 33 of 33,000. "We hope you will work to ensure that any drums exceeding [state] limits are promptly rejected and returned to the Department of Energy," said HEAL Director Vanessa Pierce in a Jan. 5 letter to the governor.

A Utah environmental group has scheduled a meeting with Gov. Gary Herbert to press its case that more testing is needed to make sure depleted uranium coming to Utah is not too hot. HEAL says it reviewed shipping papers for some Savannah River, S.c., cleanup waste already in Utah and discovered that the DU, as depleted uranium is often called, contains reactor waste in concentrations that might top the radiological hazard limit set in state law. But, according to the group, it's hard to say for sure because the U.S. Energy Department has sampled too few of the DU drums from its Savannah River cleanup in South carolina -- just 33 of 33,000. "We hope you will work to ensure that any drums exceeding [state] limits are promptly rejected and returned to the Department of Energy," said HEAL Director Vanessa Pierce in a Jan. 5 letter to the governor.

"North Carolina's power Companies outlined their long-term planning and resourCe proposals for the N.C. Utilities Commission this week. But Commission Chairman Ed Finley had his own proposal for them - get serious about joint ConstruCtion of nuClear plants. Duke Energy Carolinas and Progress Energy Carolinas both plan to build nuClear plants in the next 10 years or so. And eaCh identifies those plants as key to meeting Customer demand while also reining in Carbon emissions. But the Costs of building those faCilities Could total $11 billion or more. And that would be more than the market value of either investor-owned utility."

"As research scientists and federal regulators gathered in Washington, D.c., last month to discuss a new study of cancer rates near nuclear power plants, Sarah Sauer of corydon, Ind., asked them for a favor. Don't forget the people behind the numbers, said Sarah, 16, a sophomore at Presentation Academy in Louisville. Moments earlier, as she spoke to the National Academy of Sciences panel, the teen brought some in the room to tears, standing on a step-stool to reach the microphone as her high-pitched and strained voice told as much about her cancer battle as her words. Linda Modica, a Sierra club member from Tennessee who attended the panel meeting, said Sarah was a brave girl."

The banquet room inside the city's lavishly refurbished Pearl Brewery is filled with solar advocates, coal-power people, city decision makers and bureaucrats, geothermal enthusiasts, and a table of Express-News staffers. They dine on salmon and judge in quiet gestures the performance of the panel at the front of the room. As a tense but generally amenable exchange between the nuclear-energy proponents and the renewable-power disciples winds down, Matagorda county resident Susan Dancer steps from the shadows at the back of the room to steer the conversation, briefly, into dangerous waters. In a rapid-fire indictment of the entire course of the debate, Dancer drops the controversial "c" word. But cancer isn't on the menu at today's forum. In fact, the talk is almost entirely of money. For more than a year, the city has been drifting, in multi-million-dollar installments, into a second helping of nuclear power from the South Texas Project nuclear facility outside Bay city.

The banquet room inside the city's lavishly refurbished Pearl Brewery is filled with solar advocates, coal-power people, city decision makers and bureaucrats, geothermal enthusiasts, and a table of Express-News staffers. They dine on salmon and judge in quiet gestures the performance of the panel at the front of the room. As a tense but generally amenable exchange between the nuclear-energy proponents and the renewable-power disciples winds down, Matagorda county resident Susan Dancer steps from the shadows at the back of the room to steer the conversation, briefly, into dangerous waters. In a rapid-fire indictment of the entire course of the debate, Dancer drops the controversial "c" word. But cancer isn't on the menu at today's forum. In fact, the talk is almost entirely of money. For more than a year, the city has been drifting, in multi-million-dollar installments, into a second helping of nuclear power from the South Texas Project nuclear facility outside Bay city.

When Oregon and Washington's governors announced a settlement with the U.S. Department of Energy in August for cleanup of radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, they said it included a "moratorium" on shipping new radioactive waste to Hanford until a plant to treat the tank wastes was up and running. But in fact a big chunk of radioactive waste -- including contaminated metal from decommissioned U.S. nuclear plants -- isn't included in that proposed moratorium, Oregon officials confirmed Friday. Ken Niles, assistant director of the Oregon Department of Energy, said Oregon continues to oppose importing the waste, formally known as "Greater than class c" or GTcc waste.

When Oregon and Washington's governors announced a settlement with the U.S. Department of Energy in August for cleanup of radioactive tank waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, they said it included a "moratorium" on shipping new radioactive waste to Hanford until a plant to treat the tank wastes was up and running. But in fact a big chunk of radioactive waste -- including contaminated metal from decommissioned U.S. nuclear plants -- isn't included in that proposed moratorium, Oregon officials confirmed Friday. Ken Niles, assistant director of the Oregon Department of Energy, said Oregon continues to oppose importing the waste, formally known as "Greater than class c" or GTcc waste.

Not only does the Nuclear Regulatory commission's (NRc) objection last week to major problems in the AP1000 reactor design call into serious question the future of over half of proposed new reactors in the United States (14 of 25), it also means that it would be "grossly imprudent" for the Department of Energy (DOE) to proceed with its plans for loan guarantees for new reactors that are not finalized and licensed. Four experts delivered that stern warning during a news conference today urging the DOE to halt controversial plans to issue nuclear loan guarantees "soon," according to Energy Secretary chu. These guarantees are part of the DOE's Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. Two of the four new nuclear projects that the DOE is reported to be considering for taxpayer-backed loan guarantees are AP1000 designs proposed by the Southern company at the Vogtle site in Georgia and the South carolina Electric & Gas (ScE&G) V.c. Summer site.

Not only does the Nuclear Regulatory commission's (NRc) objection last week to major problems in the AP1000 reactor design call into serious question the future of over half of proposed new reactors in the United States (14 of 25), it also means that it would be "grossly imprudent" for the Department of Energy (DOE) to proceed with its plans for loan guarantees for new reactors that are not finalized and licensed. Four experts delivered that stern warning during a news conference today urging the DOE to halt controversial plans to issue nuclear loan guarantees "soon," according to Energy Secretary chu. These guarantees are part of the DOE's Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program. Two of the four new nuclear projects that the DOE is reported to be considering for taxpayer-backed loan guarantees are AP1000 designs proposed by the Southern company at the Vogtle site in Georgia and the South carolina Electric & Gas (ScE&G) V.c. Summer site.

Draft SWEIS Dear Interested Party Letter Summary Table of Contents and Front Matter Chapter 1: IntroduCtion and Purpose and Need for ACtion Chapter 2: Operations Overview of Y-12 National SeCurity Complex Chapter 3: Alternatives Chapter 4: AffeCted Environment Chapter 5: Environmental ConsequenCes Chapter 6: Cumulative ImpaCts Chapter 7: Regulatory Requirements Chapter 8: Short-Term Uses and Long-Term ProduCtivity Chapter 9: Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of ResourCes Chapter 10: ReferenCes Chapter 11: Glossary Chapter 12: List of Preparers and Contributors Chapter 13: Index Chapter 14: Distribution List Appendix A: Y-12 Planning ProCess and FaCility Information Appendix B: NotiCe of Intent Appendix C: Consultation Letters and BiologiCal Assessment Appendix D: Human Health and ACCidents Appendix E: ImpaCt Methodology Appendix F: NEPA DisClosure Statement for Preparation of the Site-Wide Environmental ImpaCt Statement for the Y-12 National SeCurity Complex ReferenCe Materials

Draft SWEIS Dear Interested Party Letter Summary Table of Contents and Front Matter Chapter 1: IntroduCtion and Purpose and Need for ACtion Chapter 2: Operations Overview of Y-12 National SeCurity Complex Chapter 3: Alternatives Chapter 4: AffeCted Environment Chapter 5: Environmental ConsequenCes Chapter 6: Cumulative ImpaCts Chapter 7: Regulatory Requirements Chapter 8: Short-Term Uses and Long-Term ProduCtivity Chapter 9: Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of ResourCes Chapter 10: ReferenCes Chapter 11: Glossary Chapter 12: List of Preparers and Contributors Chapter 13: Index Chapter 14: Distribution List Appendix A: Y-12 Planning ProCess and FaCility Information Appendix B: NotiCe of Intent Appendix C: Consultation Letters and BiologiCal Assessment Appendix D: Human Health and ACCidents Appendix E: ImpaCt Methodology Appendix F: NEPA DisClosure Statement for Preparation of the Site-Wide Environmental ImpaCt Statement for the Y-12 National SeCurity Complex ReferenCe Materials

A bill designed to keep foreign countries from disposing their nuclear waste in the United States is taking a small but significant step toward getting a U.S. House committee vote for the first time. On Thursday, the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act will undergo a process known as markup, where members of a House subcommittee will debate and recommend changes to the bill before it advances. The bill to ban the importation of low-level radioactive waste was drafted in response to a Utah company's plan to import up to 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy's shuttered nuclear power program through the ports of charleston, S.c., or New Orleans. After processing in Tennessee, about 1,600 tons would be disposed of in EnergySolutions Inc.'s facility in the western Utah desert.

A bill designed to keep foreign countries from disposing their nuclear waste in the United States is taking a small but significant step toward getting a U.S. House committee vote for the first time. On Thursday, the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act will undergo a process known as markup, where members of a House subcommittee will debate and recommend changes to the bill before it advances. The bill to ban the importation of low-level radioactive waste was drafted in response to a Utah company's plan to import up to 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy's shuttered nuclear power program through the ports of charleston, S.c., or New Orleans. After processing in Tennessee, about 1,600 tons would be disposed of in EnergySolutions Inc.'s facility in the western Utah desert.