Platts - Wednesday, September 03, 2003 http://www.platts.com ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--02Sep2003 NRC warns plants about computer viruses A computer network worm that infected the Davis-Besse station in January can easily be spread if precautionary measures aren't taken, NRC said in an information notice released Sept. 2. Plant operator FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. had a firewall, but the corporate network also had a high-speed fiber optic line (a T1 line) that bypassed all the access controls enforced by the firewall. When a consultant used the T1 line, the worm was able to pass through the network. The infection caused the failure of computers in the plant's network to communicate with each other and slowed processing speed and affected the safety parameter display system for several hours. Because the plant control and protection functions were not affected, the incident wasn't classified as significant, NRC said. The fixes Davis-Besse used to purge the worm from the system are outlined in the information notice (IN 2003-14). ------------ Ontario (Nuclear News Flashes)--02Sep2003 CNSC simplifies review of project Hydro-Quebec's plans to expand its nuclear waste management site at Gentilly-2 will not be subjected to a full environmental hearing process, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) said. Instead, the CNSC agreed that the project would be examined through a simpler environmental assessment screening process without the need for an independent government-appointed panel or mediator. The utility has two alternative site plans. Both call for new low- and intermediate-radwaste storage areas and the addition of four more spent fuel storage canisters. The expansion will accommodate waste produced by Gentilly-2 through 2035. ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--29Aug2003 CBO analyzes Senate bill security costs Implementing a Senate nuclear security bill would cost $235-million over 2004-2008, according to a recently released analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill (S. 1043), introduced by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), was approved by the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee in May. CBO said it could not determine the cost of all the bill's mandates because several are dependent upon future actions of the NRC. The CBO analysis said NRC could increase its annual license fees to recoup costs associated with security inspections. CBO estimated it would cost about $18- million over a four-year period to cover the costs associated with new security standards and procedures and security inspections. For NRC to hire and train "security coordinators" at each of NRC's four regions would cost about $76-million over 2004-2008; revising licensing and classification systems for sensitive radioactive materials, establishing a tracking system, and increasing inspections would cost about $56-million; and evaluating the emergency response plans for 66 plants would cost about $53-million. ------------ Pelindaba (Nuclear News Flashes)--29Aug2003 Appeals lodged against South African PBMR fuel plant About 17 appeals were lodged against a decision in favor of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) fuel plant the Nuclear Fuels Corp. of South Africa (Necsa) wants to install at its Pelindaba site, according to information available to Necsa this week. The public had until Aug. 25 to appeal the positive decision by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism (DEAT). Necsa nuclear technology division manager Van Zyl de Villiers said the company knows so far of 70 appeals in total, most of them against DEAT's decision in favor of utility Eskom's application to build a PBMR demonstration plant at Koeberg and some against both the fuel plant and the reactor. A final decision is expected this fall from DEAT minister Mohammed Valli Moosa. ------------ Washington (Nuclear News Flashes)--28Aug2003 Tax cuts differ in three energy bills There are about $18-billion in energy tax incentives in three bills under consideration in Congress, though the mix of tax cuts to different energy sectors varies. In all three bills, the tax cuts are spread over a 10-year period. A recently released Congressional Research Service (CRS) report compares the differences between the House- and Senate-passed bills and a modified version of an energy tax bill that was approved by the Senate Finance Committee but dropped by Senate leaders when they decided to bring a 2002 omnibus energy bill back to the floor for reapproval. While all the bills would clarify the treatment of contributions to nuclear decommissioning funds, the House measure also allows utilities to make contributions into the decommissioning fund above Internal Revenue Service-established limits in certain cases, the CRS report said. Generally, the House version provides larger tax cuts for fossil fuel production and electricity restructuring but has no incentives for clean coal technologies; the Senate bills give bigger tax breaks to renewable and alternative fuels. ------------