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BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
PO Box 88 ~
Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 ~ Phone
(336) 982-2691 ~ Fax (336) 982-2954 ~ Email:
BREDL@skybest.com
PRESS
ADVISORY
PRESS
ADVISORY
DEC. 1, 2003
CONTACTS:
Louis Zeller (704) 756-7550
Diane Curran (202) 328-3500
BREDL
Challenges Duke Energy Plutonium Fuel Test
Hearing Before Federal Panel in Charlotte This
Week
On Wednesday, December 3rd,
representatives of the southeastern regional Blue
Ridge Environmental Defense League will argue
against plutonium fuel testing at Duke
Energy’s Catawba nuclear plant at an
ajudicatory hearing before the Atomic Safety and
Licensing Board of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission. The hearing will begin at 9:00 AM at
the federal courthouse in Charlotte, NC.
Diane Curran of the DC firm of Harmon, Curran,
Spielberg and Eisenberg will detail deficiencies
in nuclear safety and public health protection in
Duke Energy’s proposal to test plutonium in
its Catawba nuclear power station; tests are
slated to begin in 2005. Ms. Curran has appeared
in many previous actions before the NRC and is
regarded as a foremost expert on the National
Environmental Policy Act and the Atomic Energy
Act.
Dr. Ed Lyman, a physicist with the UCS, will
testify as an expert witness for BREDL. Dr. Lyman
has evaluated the health and environmental risks
of the plutonium testing program. In addition, he
is an expert in the dangers of ice condenser
reactors. The Catawba reactors pose specific
problems for criticality accidents and, as BREDL
maintains, are the least safe reactors in the
country for experimental use of weapons-grade
plutonium. Recent BREDL challenges to the
proposed plutonium fuel project include:
Requested re-instatement of BREDL
contention one regarding anticipated
plutonium fuel use at Catawba and McGuire
nuclear plants on April 16, 2003 Appeal
to the full NRC of the 2-1 decision by
the ASLB panel’s rejection of
BREDL’s contention two regarding
severe accident mitigation at ice
condenser reactors on November 4, 2003.
Lawsuit with Greenpeace International
to implement safe containment standards
for plutonium shipments and to challenge
the export license for plutonium
shipments on November 26, 2003. BREDL
members in tidewater Virginia and in
Charleston, SC signed affidavits.
On November 3rd,
BREDL achieved a significant victory resulting in
DOE’s realignment of the boundary for the
proposed plutonium fuel factory at the Savannah
River Site in South Carolina. This decision will
result in an indeterminate delay in the fuel
factory program. BREDL maintains that the entire
program is in disarray. Previous BREDL case
filings can be found at www.BREDL.org
-end-
More Info:
Dec. 03, 2003: BREDL's second
supplemental petition before the Atomic Safety
and Licensing Board to intervene to set forth
contentions. | Dr. Edwin Lyman's
Declaration in support of BREDL contentions.
SOUTHERN ANTI-PLUTONIUM CAMPAIGN
Re-licensing of Duke Energy's McGuire
& Catawba Nuclear Power Plants
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