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    Chernobyl

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    42 просмотров68 страниц

    Chernobyl

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    Chernobyl

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    a READERS TALK ABOUT THE BULLETIN “The inside=4 SCOOP” 2cssaaue WE COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER OURSELVES The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists ‘We bring you international reporting on global security—new voices from every corner of the globe... timely stories on nuclear issues and international affairs... and powerful ideas for creating a safer world. New subscribers: get a year of the Bulletin (6 issues) for just $24.00— 20% off the regular price. r 1 The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists I Newsubsciber onl a year ofthe Bla (6 vues) Gr just $34. Cond [sed Menco add $450 cer moe subcribers add $70 (sala ci) 1 Cobalt me Ch Payer enclosed a 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 Pow oa 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 at VOL. 52, NO. 3 ll MAY/JUINE 1996, HE BULLETIN JOF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS yy ‘The Bulletin was founded in 1945 by Eugene Rabinowiteh and Hyman Goldsmith. ‘The Bulletin clock, symbol of the threat of global catastraphe, stands at 14 mainmtes to midnight. CHERNOBYL Ten Years LATER Guest opinion 4 The decade Buying votes 220 despair with Bs ‘Ten years after the secident, land is still Lad aie contaminated, the sick-ane still sck— l Raa and Soviet tle ner power Bulletins 5 ‘i , South sAfvica's hired —Bavil R: Marples Killers, Mitre’s corners, more BD Muth was an Evite ca torts a ee never told the full story af the evitical Play & again, Bob Joka Isaacs first ton days, 7" in Genevs —Alerander R. Sich ris Tom Zamora Caltina ub gets clubbier 43 — Brie Arnett Inside the beast Armenia's leftover Red Army blues ‘They haven't said much, mainly heroes lye Kieripnnon because noone asked. Six who Astghil Vi were there speak aut, ei Kiel yo tives 416 Peres: Peacemaker, clenr pioneer Nuclear power nuclear BQ Muon owe ao 2 : 0 NATO ‘The Chernobyl explosion simply blew a eee Se Jonathan Dean —Christopher Flavin and Nickolas Lenssen Nuclear notebook 61 56 Hideo Le ‘Known nuclear tests worldwide Without work st horoe, Western nurear companies are on the pawl in Eastern Europe, —Colin Woodard Thelastword _—d ‘They're always on the lookout, says On the caver: The sarcophagus at Chernoby! Arkin, for mane Photo by Pabienne Bouville/Impact Visuals rocearexentes nL WNNV Eas EDITOR'S NOTE The moral principle Ihe Febroury 1980 insue of Soviet Life x glossy clone of Henry Lace’s ‘Life magazine, contained a I-page seetion lauclly promoting the virtues of the Soviet melear power industry, As jaarnalists are wont todo, ittells the big story mostly by focusing an a part of the € nobyl nuclear power station in the Soviet Ukraine, Intex and phatos, the magazine shows us a Charnobyl that iv 4 magniticent ‘example of how science andl technolagy serves the notds af the Saviet people. ‘One ill-pauge phot bring us fae to fase with seven white-enaéed technicians striding purposively and confddently toward the camera; they have just passed under «sign that says, “Make peace stronger by your labor!" In the test, a 2+ ‘year-old turbine operator tells wx: "T wan't aéraid to take a job at w nuclear power plant, There is more emotion in (the) fear nf nuclear paver plants than real danger, | work in white over cranes tog energy official echoes the sentiment. Nuclear plants are safe—"the ods af smeltdawn are one in 10,000 years" ‘The February 1966 issue of Soviet Life was probably still on the rovdials" shelves of American libraries when CheriobyT' Unit 4-exploded, and the 10,000-year meludown event happened, The rexsons for the aeeldemt sare many;aver the pst decale, hundreds of thowsandaf words have been dee ‘voted to exploring its whys and wherefares. Today, on the tenth anniversary of Chernobyt—“Chomebyl" in Ukrainian—we are mostly interested in ike eondequenees. Please tars to page2i fora apecial section ap Chernobyl Legaioy, oncaf the Gaviet Unions ost respect ant deepest ce nersand akey player in contaling uve acident and repurtiay about tothe ‘world stan August 1986 conference in Vienna In late L966, Legasc spoke to Soviet writer Yuri Sheherbak ahowt Chernoby', how nuciear power harl been expanded too quiekly in the Soviet Union, and hour the traiag and & tence of nuclear warkers had declined sharply hecanse of that rapid expansion. “You spa,” said Legusoy, “the enemy isn’t technology, It isn't a question af the type of tirplane, of nuclear resetor, it isn't the variety of power engineer- ing, .. The human faevor is the most important ching. I earlier we looked safety inchnalugy aa-a means of protecting man frorn the possible influenoe on him of machines or some sart of harmful Factors, them today we have apother situation. Today technology must. be-proteeted from main. Yes, from man, in whose hands colossal farees are concentrated, Protested fromm man tn any sense: from the construction engineer's mistakes, feam the desigmen's mis- takes, from the operator's mistakes {rem he who lead this progess.” The modern Soviet technoceat had become slovenly, suggested Legnsov. ‘And that was a ronral failure, “TH scems ta me," he said, “hat the general key tw everything that ix happening isthe fact that we have for a prolanged pera been ignoring the vole of the moral principle: the rileaf cu history and of our culture; and this s one uninterrupted ehain. ll this had led, strietiy speaking, tothe fact that some of the people, ln thele positions. could have acted without due responsibility: And even aue person, working badly, erentes « weal linkin the-chain, and it breaks” ‘At Chernnbyl, the chain broke with a clang that startled and dismayed the world, We would have liked ta have aiked Legasow what he thought about ‘uaday’s nuclear power industey in the former Soviet, Unkon, about whether the hain has been repeired, but he cormmitted suicide on the second anniversary nf the accident. Mike Moore ie Selenite Eaner. Mica Moore | Managing Edftor Lina Botrston Associate Egtor Canals Goren | ‘Assistant Ector ‘Laven Span Iewertiong Marsager. ferrets ctveer ‘Ciroulaon Manager arsine Ladeton ‘Cosa Viae Bekin ‘Contributing Bastors: Lan okie, Daves Abr, Wiese Aki, ite fase, Mc ood Frege. Sheep, Leo gab Editorial Board Ane H, Cate, Michael are, Gearge A. Lonea, Gerald Marsh. Frankven Hippel, Siophan Vin, Sponsors: eit Sirgen, present Samual Alsen, Exava Amok, Robe Bacher Cad Savers, Paci Goa, Han Bathe. Owen Chamsrain, 8, Chand salear. AM Campton, £-UL Conga, Jones ‘Cronin, Cast Ciera. Pas Ooty. Frew Dyson Sam Extwerts, Manfred Ein, eT Eno, Bran Fes Js Fc, ened Garwn, Donald Glaoee. Shetaon | ‘Geno, Berta, aes, Maran Gorberge, ‘Gorter Mermerg, Doeceny Moaghin, ket Hotien, Merry Kendil, Rego a, Laer Lederer, Rater Unt, Mars Me nak Nexil Moti, Fobert Oopentianer, WK. Pancho Liu Poul Pact oes, Bor. sid Pl John Poort I aby Mor abi ‘ich Josegn Bolhiet, Aris Sabharoe ‘Cera a, A Sl ot Serve Fregetich Satz, Od Sal Lea Scere! Sash. Toye, Kosa Ta. HERTS, WE, vibeskart CF Wada, Jorma rear, Patan ison, ‘The Bulletin is published by the Educa. "ona Fourddation Tor Muclnar Scr enter he bess cmt ae Frograma..... Vitoria tnolshye Milg Board of Brectors: Leones Riser, char mar: Laon Ledinan, vice-chairman: Metsel MeCaly, tmamurer, Mike More, ‘secrolay, Anne H, Cahn, Oornca Dal ever, Hare Petar Dur, Batey Faowe wren: Licey Mary Lard, Alejand cid, otek, Nichola Prizher Marth hen Wit, Dart MA. Khan, kel Sin caer Genes omy 2 Samrvien rims GS tae Si De Sing where Scions puted Oy Ie Exrmars oiteanr fr Mowe Seren 02 Coorg 8 Wen oy ENE EE 2 ME i \ EE LETTERS: bs a In me 19608, Fronch President Charles de Gaulle, babeving Europe was too Bender to the Unite! States forts security, developed an indpondent nuclear force, Today tha French goverment is exploring the possibilty of “Concerted Detorrance* far Europe, Eurobomb? Non Eurodeterrence? Oui Mark Hibbe’s article, “Tomorrow a Eurohomb!* (January/February) is a well-documented and enlightening analysis of selected aspects of the French-German relationship, Howev- et, ial to fully recognize te tratise formation of the strategic landscape, and the need for a new vision in the post-Cold War world, In the latest French initiative, first announced by President Jacqu ‘Chirac and Prime ister Alain Juppé in 1806, France invited its Eu ropean partners to help carve out & new European security. identity. Whether the existing French and British nuclear deterrents can make: an even grester contribution to cont: nental security is the essential issue, land the main purpose of the French initiative is to propore measures that will lead to a new understanding of the role of nuclear weapons in rope, (This is far ery from th romiaiile” cartroversy of yesterday or the notion of “Eurobarmbs" fre t morrow.) The latest French proposal may not warrant uncritical necep- tanee, but It certainly deserves eri ‘is eonsderation and discussion, The French porture has always em- phasized deterrence, as opposed to “winning” a nuck ar. Tt is based om the Mea of strict sufficiency, of denying an adversary any incentive to resort to foree. The recent French initative facises on "Concerted De- terrence”- Europeanized deter- rence that would be wholly in keeping with NATO's New Strategic Concept and the decisions of NATN)'s Nuclear Planning Group, ¢ Nuclear Planning Group deter- mined that the post-Soviet security environment calls for important changes in NATO's naclear posture. Bocuuse of the importance af the insu, France partipated for the first time inthe planning group's meetings and approved the new concept. Unfortunately, nuclear weapons are likely tar with us for the foreseeable future. Total nuclear dis: armament appears highly. improba- ble, And from a technical standpoint, there is no example in history of a technology being “ ‘Thus, the new world disorder re ‘quires us to adapt the nuclear fait ac- ‘compli to oue tine. ‘Any future configuration of Euro- pean defense requires 2 strategic partnership that, beginning with Pranee, Britain, and Germany, would ‘be gradually enlarged. (This implies ‘that France mst revise its relation- ship with NATO, un issue it has re- seontly addressed.) Should European defense and secu- rity institutions continue ta be died by the proliferation of overlapping structurés—that is, by the plethora of relations established within and be ‘tween the Western European Union, NATO, the European Union, the Or” nization for Security and Coopera ‘tan in Europe, and others? Or sould Europe attempt to establish a more substantive collective body? The ‘Treaty of Maastrieht calls for the ere- ation of a common European defense and sceurity poticy—one that in no ‘way threatens Euro-Atlantic security If & more autonomous European pillar, elosely alliod to the United tes, isto he implemented, i is ime portant to understand the mecha. nisins of deterrence in the post bipolar era—and in partieul deterrenee functions in Europe, nthe late 1965, I helped d ‘the concept of “Deterrence by a Mu. tunlly Agreed Statement of Fact” CDisseasion par Constat"), which seems an appropriate starting point, It emphasizes “psychological” deter. rence; that the would-be aggressor is inhibited if he has no ability to control the ultimate level af violence, In a theater az limited as Europe the stukes are very high, and the risk of ‘escalation cannot he controlled, given oth Europe's conventional forces and the possibility of intervention by nuclear powers. "This eoncept lays the groundwork for an authentic European strategic partnership with three key features that prevent & potential adversary from setting and eantrolling the level of violence: First, the Fronch snd British must contiwseed tn gn SI how Dali ont as GUEST OPINION Buying votes with B-2s fer three years and insiumet= able studies and statements af Firming the decision of the Bush ad- ministration that 2) Stesith bombers were sufficient for American national security needs, the Clinton aud tration, on the eve of the California primary, suddenly diseavered that at least oné mare bomber neetled tr be added to the leet, The transparent political motivation for this decision, largely negated by Senator Bob Dole's immediate eall for production of at least 20 mare hombers, says much about the polities of defense spending as it does about the contin ing saga of strategie bomber poli- tice—current military spending levels are largely driven by corporate inter ests rather than national security The Bisenhower administration struggled in vain to eaneel the super- sonie XB-T0, which survived well into the Kennedy atministration, ‘The Carter administration thowht Usa it hal driven a stake into the heart of the B-LA, but the Reagan administra- ion quickly rovived the reincarnated B-1B. And it was only with great ef- fort that the Reagan administration was able to confine the BIB te planned buy of 10 alreraft, to make way for the stealthy B-2. While the Bush administration demanstrated admirable fortitude in reducing the B.2 program fear 182 to 20 alrerat, the Clinton administration ultimately ‘was not aclequate to the challenge. tie repetition of this story ever decade or so, going beyond tra- sey and farce, Seexplained in a ste gle word: California. Bombers are built in southern California, presi- dents are clected in California, and presidential eandidates are averse ta fillenating the tens of thousands af voters who build bombers. So thou- sands of votes ate bought with bil Hons of dollars of taxpayer ‘With the backing ofthe cviian ara mili Wadership of the Defense Department, Present Clinton ini 4 The Bulletin ofthe Atamie Seemtists tially coneluded that the 20 B-2s eur rently on orvler are sufficient for fore- seesble requirements. Sensing that & few thousand voters might be strayed ta his camp, Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole asserted that mare bombers were needed. Congressional supporters of the Be included a requirement In the 19% defense authorization and appropria- tion bills that the Pentagon conduct heavy bomber farce study, address ig whether there was a.need for a ional bombers, and what shoulel be done with the industrial base to be thle to build additional bombers in the future, Congress also required that the Pentagon maintain the Bs? production hase for the year during, ‘whieh the study was conducted. n May, 2985, the Pentagon ane nounced the results af the re ‘quirements component of this study, swhich sad that the planned fare of 2 B.2s can meet the national security re quirements of two nearly simultane- ‘ous major regional contingencies that is the basis for tho Clinton administ Uon's planning, ‘The study alan cone ‘eluded that acbitional pretision-gur ‘ed munitions und plannesl convention al mission upgrades to the B-1 borne ‘would be more cost effective than ad- itional B-2s. And on July 7, 1995, the Pentagon released the industrial cupa- bilities study, which concluded that there & no cistinet “bomber industry,” and that the eapubilities required ta design and build bombers are avail- able in the broader military and ex mercial aircraft industries, ‘These eminently sensible: eoncln- sions notwithstanding, congressional supporters of the B-2 rsanagedl to add some $498 million to the B-2 program in the fiscal year 199 authorization and appropriation bills, though the ‘various cormittews were at odkis over Just how the money was.to be spent. After much speealation as to how te administration would respond, om February 8, 1006, the Whive House announeed that the additianal maney ‘would be spent on upgrades: and mot ifications for the existing fleet of 20 B-2 bombers, as recommended in the fiscal year 1996 Defense Authoriza- tion Conference Report, rather thas the purchase of new alreraft, Note ‘that the administration did not seek to rescind the funding, a it has on other congressional add-ons, whch would bawe risked alienating the Be 2s constituency The White House leo announced that the Pentagon would expand an ongoing Deep Attack Munitions Stury of tradeoffs between long range bombers and ather weapons, This may serve as a forum for BE proponents to reopen the question of adding more airerait on military igrnunde, Within weeks, however, the ‘Clinton sdministration, never noted for steadfast commitments, had decid ced that a prototype bomber sbwald be ‘converted to the operational canfigu- ration, adding another bomber to the fleet, xine keeping the production line ‘spon for an uskitional three years, EDs ome a eles sel to offend the Stealth constituency cisions of the previous year, tke ad rministestion quickly reversed course with the hot breath of the election upon its neck Regariless of this year’s debate, or te results of the November election, the administration's current B-2 pro- gram includes approximately $7 bil- lion through the end of the century to buy, deploy, and operate the 21 B-2s, und upgrade them to the mare capa: ble “Block $0" condiguration. With the last of the currently authorized Bx not. sinted to roll aff the produetion line unt) 1896, seed upgrade modifiea- tions planned for several years there- after, purchase of additional airerwft ‘ell remain & not-implausible option for many years Lo came, and am ariel aldebate may be sntleipated for the remainder of the centory. Ml Jolie Pike, director of Spice Policy & CybeeStrategy Projects at the Feder- ation of American Seientints i Wash ington, DE. is 0. meraber of tiee Bale letin’s board of dinectors. BULLETINS: governmen In 1986, Executive Out- ‘comes hooked up with its former enemy. The compa- nny was hired by the An- No peace for South Exceutive Outeomes is Ue largest sueh onga- nization in the ; : met os ee Africa's : = = local troopa. But he acknowledges: that, “we were on a mccain ae See fend ourselves. oiamer ened, we'd carry out Ci Ss some credit for the Mie aie wand'ring warriors to Anjeulan peace agreement between UNITA and the government. Barlow antributed the agreement ones 19 the military superiority ‘of the goverument-troops hen ite war with) whieh is snperv ‘comes still had agents in) trained by his organiza W the African Na- | fragile peace secord in An- | Angola. And Steve Goose | tion, “It is easy to give tional Congress | gola, condemned their | of Human Rights Wateh | ourselves a pat-on the ended at home in 1990, n | presence. The African Na. | sald the fiers might be “back,” he atid. “We saved group offormer South | tional Congress alea de- | using front companies to | hundreds of lives, ‘African Defense Force sol- | manded they “return home | continue its work, ddicrs started a private itmenedliately.” If Unese South Afri “military trainingand ad- | In response ta this pres | fighters have adopted a a Outcomes, and hit the | noumeed it was leaving An- | will not be the firet time, oday, the same road sgl in January. The An- | During the 197s and num "Apparently, there was a | golan givernment even | 1980s, the South African market for theirservices, | hosted adeparture eere- | Defense Foreo, including people go More than 200 employees | mony on January I2.com- | mang of the company out of here ended up working wstier- | plete with spece ‘current empinyeee. fought a ccmarfesta war-riven Are | golen Press Snihe sideofJomsSavin- | a came in. gola—“doing the sortaf | uarvio dos Santos assured | b's rebel National Union, ‘things that training teams | U.S. President Bill Clinton | for the Total Indepen- plonel Anatoly,” doallover the world,” the | that he had caneeled the | dence tha aversees the firm's general manager | comtravt with Executive | One Executive Outeomes ses at KGB heat Eelen Barlow explained to. | Outcomes. ‘employee, a former mem tera on Ladyantka ‘the South African Prese In February, however, | ber of the defense force, Square, Moscone Assox the South African gavern- | even spent two years in Citet in But the United States | ment told the presa it be- | jail in the 1980s after being the Evonomist, and the United Nations, | lieved that Exeeative Out- | captured by the Angolan February 24, 1908. ‘Mayline 18 § Company spokesman | poses mercenary activity, ‘Andy Brown said inthe | itis not ilegal under South July 29 Eeonomist that the | African law. And at least “sees itself as a ‘some South African offi- force for stability-in lals privately have ex- ‘Africa, We hope tocreate, | pressed relief that these by establishing.a balanee | | former special frees aper- of power, the conditions. atives were working out- for free and fair elections.” | side the country, according The company has also toan October article in tried to changests image | the Ser Bigo Unione by branching out. The Ja- | Tribune. hannesburg-based Weekly: It is unlikely they will Mailand Guardian re- | retura home soon, Even if ported in 1984 that the ‘its Angola operation ends, company was planning a | Executive Outcomes has cellniar phane network | found plenty of other aand resort hotel in Angola, | lary work throughout the Is also.in the business of | continent. Since 1969, the distributing Bibles. company has expanded to But the South African | as many as six other government. remains un- | Afriean countries, mast re canvineed, “We cannot be | cently Slerra Leone, exporters of war,as people | Executive Outsomes who believe in democra- also has a mining division, cy.” the ANC said ina according ta the Econo~ atatement in February. iat, Strategic Resources ‘Although the South African government op- Corporation, « "Bahamas- ‘based holding eompany’ that alo controls Execu: | others were captured in tive Oteomes,” was February, and the firm has awarded mining omees- | sent a“top delegation” ta sinns in Sierra Leone in | negotiate their release, August 1906 as payment: Four employees are still from the government believed held in Angola, for ite military assistance, | although UNITA‘s Savim- according ta African [Ls e has mo know- Energy and Mining edige of the missing newsletter. met “Military consulting,” however, remains the com- | farilies of these men turned to South Africa's ew government for help with their release, Marie ‘pany's most lucrative en- terprise, During its first 12 ‘months in Angola, Execu- tive Outcomes mute $40 | van Tonder, the wife of milion, according tothe | one of the missing men, Weokly Mail. It is extimat~ | was part of'a group that ed that employees get be- | asked President Nelson ‘tween $24,000 and $40,000, | Mandola last August to dollars a zear—a good | tervene on their behalf. salary far men “rational- | *Mandela is our only ioe" out of the armed hope," she told the South forces. African Press Association. But the money does not | “Please Mr. President, ccome without risk In Aw: | bring justice ad peace to ust 1906, about 20 campa- | the suffering of our eher- ny employees were killed | ished loved anes.” in Sierra Leone, Three —Danietle Garton 10 years ago in the Bulletin ‘fer the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power lant in Aprit 1986, the Bulletie devoted the Sep- tember issue to what was known about the accident and its ikely consequences. ‘Michael MeCally,tacay’ profes sor of medicine at Mount. Sinai School of Medicine in New York and a member of the Bultetin's Board of Directors, was among & group of doctors visiting Europe and the Soviet Union at the time, and MeCally deseribed the group's visit with some of the most seri- ously injured workers hospitalized in Moscow. In addition, MeCally wrote, the accident saused panic in much of Europe: “"The Chernobyl aceident hac a much greater impact in Europe than in the United States. Many parts of the con- tinent received substantial fallout. Physicians told us that their hospitals were jammed ith anxious patients, parents in particular, asking about the safety of food, water, and travel. ‘Can my son play in the sandbox today? ‘Should my hushare travel to Poland?” Physicians complained that they had na consistent 8 The Bulletin ofthe Atomic Scentints source of information or interpretation about fallout doses. They had to rely on the sarne information as the ‘public—television. “Even in the third week in May, four weeks after the acctlent, Chernobyl was typically the first item on the ‘evening news. Ant-nuclear protests bad revived. The Social Demacratie Party in West Germany borrowed an anti-nuclear position fram the Green Party, and the acci- dent will be an issue in the German national elections: next January, “One can get a sense of the accident hy imagining American public reaction ta the following: The Hanford \N reactor, in Washington state, explodes with a release of. pereentof ts fuel core. Although little information is available about the size or composition af the fallout: plume, truck farmers in central Idaho and Touce are told ta plow under leafy vegetable erops, such as spinach ard lettuce; Minnesota dairy farmers are told to keep all ‘their livestock in barns; in Maclison, Wisconain, dairy ‘sales fall 90 percent in response torumors of radioactive iodine in the milk; and Chicagoans are warned on a ‘Tuesday that everyone aut in the rain the previous Sat- urday should wash their clothes exrefully to remove ra- dlionctive fallout which was present in the rainfall. This happened in Europe in May." Looking into Mitre’s corners he nonepeont work is filled with “Soles? charitable organizations, groupe that somehow bumble along always lit tle short of mioney. (The Bulletin is among their runk). These organiza: tons wauld love to have & sugar dasldy—someone who ponied up money for hefty eomsulting fees, par- ties, personal expenses, oF first-class travel that eoald never be defencted in an aust, Bat a handful of oth ‘ones that don't exaetly ft ‘the profile of the average ccharity—have for years vonjoyed just steh Iarzesse from Uncle Sugar, aka, ‘the Pentagon, ‘Take the Mitre Carpors- tion, the Aerospace Corpo- ration, or the Array Cen- ‘er, inclependent “non- profit” eorparations that orm contract work far the Pentagon, They now how to make « deal For example, in 1994, c- cording to the General Ae- counting Office (GAO}, Mitre was awarded &78 million in Pentagon con- tracts, In addition, Mitre received a fee" of SI7.0 million, The fee was in- tendod to eover & number ‘of items, among them "une reinbursable-ensste.” In ‘other words, Ifby law the Pentagan contraet-was for- bidden from paying for the $2,800 luneheot for speais- ‘22 who seeompaniod ‘rustaes to a Washington, D.G,, meeting, or if it balled at paying 83,500 for ‘home security system for ‘the company president, ‘then the fee would pick up the tab, Mitre was also elted by ‘the GAO far charging the In brief Spinning in his grave? The chamber of commerce of Chemnitz, Germany, be- lieves that the efty's communist-era narse, Karl-Marx has commercial value (This Weok in Germany, 8, 1096), The city will not revert ta the mare, ‘to highlight its long association with the ta imoits socialist. Ax part of @ pablicity campaign, it will r= sure the night-time lighting of the giant bust of Maes at the city's center. The earmpsign’s slogan; “Investors of the world, unite—in Chemnitz.” mw Smiling through A recent British government study’ of landfills or “tps has found that 8M ordinary garbage dumps in Britsin con tain far more tritium than sites where low-level radioae- tive wastes are stored (New Seieufist, March 2, 1998), Britain's enviewnsental ministry says the level af tetiusn is too low to be hazardous, but it is remarkably wide ‘spreas—too much for the souree to be radioactive waste. “The tritinm must be coming from some “sommon compo: nent. of domes ial waste.” On tho bright side, saya Howard Robinson, who led the government's he tritium makes s great chemical marker for trwe- Unig leaching from the dumps: “Ifa tip i leaking into-deinking water, now we will know MOK, so it’s not Jurassic Park. At the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, sei ists ure employing supercomputers used in nuclewr weapons researeh to build a.eomputer reconstruction of ‘the erest on the head of the parasaurolophus, a large, sduck-billed dinosaur (New York Times, March 12, 1996). ‘The crest, « tubular, hony structure that extended four and a half feet trom the top of the paresaurotophvus’s beac, ‘was shaped something like a trombone and eantained a labyrinth of air cavities. Scientists hope that computer modelinge will enable thern-tn determine, fae the fire time, what the ereatures sounded like, Mellow, we hape, Sheep may safely graze ‘The sprea of radicnctivity from the Chernoby! nuclear re accor neeident-in April 1986 led to a ban on the eale of 2.8 million sheep in Britain, After neatly ten years of monitor ing animals for contamination ut 6750 farms in, England and Wales, in January & ban on the ssle of lamb was lifted from another 70 farms, leaving on the wate Hist only 188 farms with 241,000 sheep ( 1, Don't bank an it Alexander Lukashenka, Belarus's new president, has stickedl the governor of the central bank, Stanislav Bog- dunevieh. Among Bogdanevich's sins, according to Presi- dent Lukashenka: he kept Belarus's hard currency ro- serves ina very risky institution—namely, the Federal Reserve Bunk of New York (Beouomist, March 2, 1996). From missiles to media At last, the defense industry seems to have found some- ‘hing more profitable than weapons, Aecording to Busi Mayne 18067 next Werk Clanuary 8, 1906), defense contractors are se ‘quiving television and other media outlets. Last Decem- ber, Westinghouse announced that It would el ts de- ness to finance the acquisition of CBS. Hayghes Dine said it planned ta take its television services global. And Lockheed Martin ancl Raytheon have invest= ‘ed mare than $500 million in providing satelite images te real estate agents and farmers. Hope blooms ‘Sunflowers are being userl—experimentally--to “eat” the ‘uranium out of contaminated gail at a former Energy De- partment eonplex in Ohio, Pests in Ukraine suggest that Indian mustard plants can take up strontium fren eomta minated soils. “Phyto-remediation,” which costs about ‘one-tenth of traditional hazard remediation, reduces the amount of waste by as much az 6 percent. (Business: Weak, February 19, 1906), Selective vision ‘Same of the areas that wore most heavily contaminated bby fallout from the aecident at use Chernobyl wuclear over plunt are in Belarus, where cases of thyroid cancers among children have inerewsed from ane or twa a yexr te sas many na {Hin 198. A number of studios of the diserst's increased incidenee in Ukraine and Helarus have ap- peared in Western medieal journals and seiense mag. ines. But apparantly that’s not good enough for the Tn ternational Atomic Energy Agency (LAA), « nuclear Ling arm of the Unitest Nations, According iat (Begember 8, 1995), the IAEA. male a “bizarre” appearance at the World Health Organization's November 1995 meeting in Geneva to argue that any in he mimber of eineer eases emused by the Cher obyl disaster would be “undetectable.” Ma Never say die says Igor Bratishehev, ‘Communist Party, led by Gennadi Zyuganav (New Fines, March 22, 1995). "A return to a socialist economy fs not Zyuganov’s seal, it i¢ a natural historieal process. ‘The twenty-first century is the century of the socialization ff the world economy.” Mi For Los Alamos, i's the pits For many years, Las Alamos National Laboratory's tity has made as many ss a dozen plutonium “pits year for the underground noclear testing program. It seemed logical to many that, as the Energy Department “dawnsized,” the New Mexica lub should take aver the prcuction of pits far the muclear arsenal as well. Sig Hecker, the lab direetor, opposed the move, fearing tht return to weapons work wight neduoe the lab’s research mission (Seience, Mareh 8, 1996), But after Inaing 1,000 employees last yeur to Energy's budget cats, the lab d reelorani others apparently siw the ligt, endorsing th Energy Department's February decision to move pit pro- ‘duction hiek ta Las Alamos. Earle Marie Hanson, deputy program director for auslear materials, omw says, have na problem whateoever vith stepping mp to 20 ta Inits] uyesr” 1B The Hlletin ofthe Atomic Seientiete ‘that in the future an inde pendent advisory commit review the Pen tagon's management and oversight of these eorpora- tions (Chemical & Bngi- neering News, February 12, 1988), In addition, «ays Kirninski, the Pentagon needs to determine if these organizations “are using their special statas in same ‘way te gain am unfair com petitive advantage aver commercial firms.” Linda Rothstein Pentagon for expenses it inewrved in connection with contract work for Eu: Fopeun governments, Now, however, afters series of GAO reports crit- ical of the way the Defense Department has managed fs relations with corpora tions like Mitre, these practices may be elimina od. [o February, Paul Kaminski, the Defense Department's underseene tary for acquisition and technology, announced Danielle Gardens is aswockate editor of the Bulletin. Linda Rothstein is managing editor Net working. Ittpstineog.com/atomie? Make us part a your eseuch repertoire, ‘Selected orfides fram the Gorletir af the Ataoic ‘Seis, cong wth beck reviews, cartoons, nd ks octet -eseurees, ont evaloble on the Beiein’s World Wide Web se hullatomsci@ige.ape.org. Wien yon dont hove timer stone, ied ate Yo the air by er REPORTS STAR WARS. Play it again, Bob PPrekdential candidate Bob Dole and House Speaker New! Gingrich at a press-coaf fence annauncing their plan to rasurract 2 scaled-down Star Wars. ‘On March 21, only eons of his quest for the Republican presidential nomination was assured, Bob Dole jeined House Speaker Newt Gingrich in introducing & bill hat would require: the deployment of niasile defense by the end ithe "Defend America Act the DolesGingrieh bill bs am attempt to enlist the missile defense issue in the 19M presidential eam: palgn. Ata press conference Intro- ducing the bil, Dole quiekly took aim: “Right now, the United States has no defense—and | repeat no defense against ballistic missiles, If itis left up to the Clinton administration, it swill stay that way ‘The campaign rhetorie continued with Senate Armed Services C mittee Chairman Strom Thurmond: Tf this bill is passed, I hope that President Clinton will approve it, IF aysafter the suc- | hedoean’t approve, President Dole will approve ‘AndNew Hapa Cong. Bob ‘Smith added: “It’s a defining issue be- And it’s w tween the two parties, who-are running for presides But it’s hard to believe that any na- tional seeurity issue, much less the question of whether the United States should spend tens.of billions of dollars on § ux, will cap. agination, Survey after survey suggests that the public ernext about the econamy, edu: and erime in the streets. One-time Ross Perot voters emphasize a balanced budget and po- litical reform, And Pat Buchanan, a tender for the Republican Honaina- jolted the Republican primary season by tapping Fears about job lows and anger at corporations thut ride high while laying off tens of thou- sands of workers, Meanwhile, “re- form” legislation, proposed by the Republican “Contract With Ameri ca," was shelved when enviranmen- talists demonstrated that clean water and air and the preservation of land were still potent political issues, In fact, public epinion polls show foreign policy and national security Issues are at the hattorn of the list of topies that could «wing votes in 1906, Even among the nation’s 50-talled elites, foreign poliey issues have near- ly dropped off the vaar sereen. A February 1995 Chicago Couneil on Foreign Relations survey found that only 7 percent of leaders, In both the public snd private sectors, listed for- eign relations among the nation’s biggest problems. They ranked the issue tenth—after a variety of domes: tie questions. One early contender forthe Repub- liean nomination, Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, ha already tried te go aginst the trend. He made nuclear issues a major theme of his primary campaign, running 8 series of televiston ads that highlighted the threat of terrorists platting against the United States, But the ads fired along with Lugar’s fortunes, The Republican electorate ply dena care: In March, the Coalition to Reduce Nuslear Danger, x group that advo: cates deep cuts in nuclear weapons anda greater foeus on nonprolifers tion, organized two focus groupe, one in Richmond, Virginia, the other in Baltimore, Maryland, The eonclusion from both gatherings was elear: The public, as represented by the focus groupe, no longer believes the coun- tey is in much nuclear danger. In- stead, there Is a widespread feeling that the United States is preeminent- ly powerful, with adequate nuclear and conventional forees to deter at- tack from abroad. ¢ Republicans themselves have brought together similar focus groups, and they have comshaded thst the pub: lic mistakenly believes that the Unit- ed States is already defended against missile attack. The March focus groups confirmed that conclusion. But even after foeus group leaders in formed members about the laek af « national missile defense, the mem- bers still seemed reluctant to embark on a multi-billion dollar progeam to erect ane. Mas due 1906-9 ‘The dangers that concerned faews ‘group participants were terrorist actx like those in Oklahoma City, at the World Trade Center in New York, and in the Tokyo subway. Missile de- fenses would be useless against those ‘treats, Apparently, the Republicans flnd such evidenee inconvenient, hut nat ‘persuasive. Theft push on the missile defense issue began in early 1995 with the ase much-touted “Contract With Ameri- ca” The House enthusiastically adop- ‘ed most of the domestic positions ‘embodied in the Cantract, but Gin sgeich suffered his first reversal in February 1905, whon South Carolina Democrat John Spratt affered a sc ceossfal amendment Uiat deleted a provision endorsing the deployment ‘of an antiominsile defense of US. ter- ritory “as soon as practical.” Not only ‘wore most of the House Democrats fearlessly opposed ta Star Wars, but 24 Republicans deserted the party in a21S-212 vote. When the Senate considered the Pentagon's annual authorkzation bill, ‘the Republicans pinned their hopes ‘on what they called the “Missfle De- ‘fense Act of 1995." This act required deployment of a natiomal missile de- forse ayster by 200, barred neg ation with Russia on clarifying the distinstions between national and ‘Uheater missile defenses, and snilat- erally declared that all U.S. thester systems complied with the Anti-Bal- Listie Missile Treaty It was during the conference ¢o work su-the differenses between the House snc Senate-passed bills that Majority Leader Dole began to delin- ‘cate the polities of Star Wars: En an October 1995 letter to Thurmnand, he ssid, “In my view, this conference— sunder your able leadership—provides aa unique opportunity to demonstrate ‘the unwavering commitment of Re publican te protest America.” ‘After the conferees accepted the 2008 deployment date, President Clin- ton vetoed the bill, A new bill, parsed ‘in January 1996, dumped mast of the missile defense’ linguage to insure that it would receive the president's signature, The discarded language thas been resurrected in the new Dole- ‘Gingrich bill The Re ans fage @ hard eel! It’s not just. the public that doesn't 10 The Hullotin of te Atomic Scientists rmulitary bills and the | ‘want Star Wars—the military doosn’t much want it, either. The brass pre- fer to spend money an. airplanes, sshipe, trucks, and tanks On February 16, the Pentagon announced w six- year plan that stressed defenses against short-range mitsiles meant. to protect allies and US. soldiers abroad. The plan included only a-mod- feat research progeam on defending against longer-range-missiles, "The Pentagon's position was. bol stered by an intelligence community estimate that hostile countries like North Korea and fran will be unable to deploy long-range missiles capable ‘of reaching the continental United States for ot lenst 15 veurs—a gon Lention hotly disputed by’ the Repiub- leans, who accuse the CLA af cooking ‘he books, ‘The debate surrounding Star Wars will ebb and flow throughout the year, Each side will produce polls ‘hat either support oF appase the pro- seraun, depending on how questions on the iseue are worded. But it seems owbefal that voters will decide on the: candidates based on their posl- ‘ons on missile defense. ‘As David Silverberg, editor-at- large for Armed Forces Journat In- ternational, pointed out in a March 1 article in The Hill: “The current drive to make a major isne out of the lack ofa ballistic missile defence is unltke- ly to strike any public spark daring this campaign season. Raw American rilitary power is go strong right now thatdefense isan extremely marginal ve" Cong. Spratt agrees, Responding to the unveiling of the Republicans’ “Defend Amerie” plan in Mareh, Spratt told an interviewer: “In the end, Uthink this may coneeen people, but it doesn't turn many wotes.” il Jobn Isaacs, the executive director of Conneil fora Livable Warld in Wasi ington, D.C, is « Bulletin covtribut ing editor. Crunch time in Geneva By TOM ZAMORA COLLINA ‘The comprehensive test bun tresty (CTR) tall in Geneva have entered their flnal phase—the “end st ‘This is the phase in which deals are made, compromises reached, and na- tions abanclon individual objections to achieve consensus, At the Conference on Dissrmament, however, any na- tion can play the spoiler. This year, the likely candidates are China and nda ‘The vast majority of the &8 nations negatiating the test bun treaty are siger to-reach aggreemment by the end nf this year's second negotiating ses sion—May 13 to June 28. [f that hap- pens, there will be plenty of time for the text to be translated and, sent back to capitals, and then presented | for upproval at the U.N, General Ac- | sembly tecting in lite September. If | the schedule alips, the treaty will be carried over to the third and final ne- | gotiating session, which will run from | July 2840 September 13. | Beijing and New Delhi each have | their own, very different, reasons for | wanting to take a slower boat. China | is the only nation still openly exmduet- | ing nuclear tests, and it is beliewed to have four move planned in its current | series. Given China's historieal pace— abst two teatsa yeur—the series is unlikely to he finished this year. If the OTB is completed and opened for signature while China is sll testing, Betjing would be forced to choose hetween nat algning the treaty [nitially, signing but continuing to test, or truncating its tests. To avoid this list of bad cholees, China ihiight try to block treaty approval-— an act that would drew international ty to tie up the negotiations, possibly over its proposal to exempt “peaceful iiielear explations” (PEs) from the ban, China hae said that it lus no phans to conduct PNEs at this time. But, as the largest developing nation in the world, it says.it eannot rule out forev- er the option of conducting PNEs for excavation or other parposes ‘To counter the eriticism that PNEs could be misused by a nation that was trying to develop nuclear weapons, China has proposed on-site inspee- tions and suggested thut any explo- jon would have tobe approved by a vote of the ureaty organization's exec- utive council before it could acear—a situation that would virtually ruran- tee that no PNEs would take place, Some delegations in Geneva see t a5 an acceptable enumpromise to bring Chins along. fut the battam line is that (hina is the only nation at the conference off- PNEs. Given that 5 not likely to sign the treaty tests are done in any case, compramising an PNEs may not be worth the price Also, the idea that “verification” ean demonstrate that a PNE isnot w weapons test is flawed. China argues that a PNE could be eonduetod with rrlnimal diagnosties--la fact, only the gross yield of the device woul be needed. Hawever, even that would be helpfal to w uation in the process of developing & ouclear weapon ‘The ides of PNEs, onee the cher- isbed dream of nuclear enthusiasts, has been on its last legs far years, 50 it would be unfortunate if PNEs ere approved in yet another international

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