Platts - Monday, March 29, 2004 http://www.platts.com ------------ Tainted water keeps uranium mine closed Washington (Platts)--26Mar2004 Energy Resources of Australia's (ERA) Ranger uranium mine remained closed today as investigations continued into the switching of the potable water and the process water lines at the facility. ERA reported earlier in the week that employees coming off the night shift noticed the reduction in water quality while showering. The water in the shower was found to contain elevated levels of uranium and higher acidity, ERA said. Six workers have reported some mild symptoms as a result of the water mix-up. ERA also reported today that there was an overflow of water March 23 from a holding tank about a kilometer from the airport on land that ERA leases. That water, too, is believed to have contained elevated uranium levels four times the safe drinking water guideline, ERA said. ------------ DOE reaches settlement with law firm Washington (Platts)--25Mar2004 DOE agreed to pay the law firm LeBoeuf Lamb a $4.5-million settlement this week, ending the firm's legal battle to become the DOE waste program's legal services contractor. The settlement also includes a letter from DOE's Office of General Counsel, stating that the firm was never banned from work for the department or its contractors. LeBoeuf, Lamb, Green & MacRae and DOE reached the agreement March 23, a day before DOE announced it had retained the firm Hunton & Williams for a five-year legal services contract worth up to $45-million. Hunton & Williams will assist DOE with the preparation of a repository license application and will represent the department during NRC licensing proceedings for the facility. LeBoeuf Lamb had contended that DOE's previous legal services contractor--Winston & Strawn--had a conflict of interest because it had performed similar work for an early prime contractor for the DOE waste program and that it had lobbied for the Nuclear Energy Institute. LeBoeuf Lamb argued DOE should have awarded it the contract. Winston & Strawn, which has maintained it didn't have a conflict of interest, withdrew as DOE's legal services contractor in 2001. ------------ NEI plan addresses materials issues Washington (Platts)--25Mar2004 The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) released details of its strategic plan to address materials issues. During a press briefing today in Washington, D.C., NEI officials said the effort would address materials issues in a proactive manner. The plan said stress corrosion cracking of alloy 600 and nickel-based weld material is the biggest challenge facing the PWR industry. Other issues are non-destructive examination technology, high fluence in BWRs and PWRs, steam generator tubing, nuclear fuel integrity, and water chemistry. The industry's goals include developing understanding of causes of material degradation; conducting operability and safety assessments for locations of materials potentially susceptible to damage; and evaluating mitigation, repair and/or replacement options. NEI said the strategic plan would be updated at least annually to ensure it reflects industry experience. ------------