European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 11, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday. September 11, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 the dragon reaches the finish Flag her learn watches As West German Flag Catcher Anna Wilmas reaches out to grab the finish Flag saturday during a heat at the International dragon boat Festi Val held on the Mississippi River at Dubuque Iowa. Teams from Italy new zealand and Taiwan arc among those that Are taking part in the 36-Leam event. Navy nuclear fuel Plant abandoned bymattiie\vl.\valdn.y. Times news service the Energy department is abandoning a three year old $ 176 million Plant thai makes fuel for nuclear propelled submarines and surface ships for the Navy. The department announced last week that the new Plant near Aikin s.c., was not needed because technical improvements had allowed naval vessels to run 911 less fuel and because the Navy is building fewer submarines. But an aide at a Senate committee with jurisdiction Over the Energy department said the new Plant would not run because the department had Cut Corners in its construction. The aide who spoke on condition of anonymity said that because of the efforts to Cut construction costs the Plant was also h highly vulnerable to earthquake damage. The decision appears certain to bring close congressional scrutiny As the department finishes plans for a renovation and decontamination of its nuclear weapons Complex that is projected to Cost Over $ 100 billion Over decades. The department s competence to build new plants is already under severe question by government and private experts who note that the department has built a plutonium waste repository in new Mexico that it cannot open because of design problems and that it is trying to build repository in Nevada for civilian nuclear waste. At the Rocky Flats Plant near Denver where the Energy department makes triggers for nuclear bombs a $225 million plutonium processing Plant was finished in 1981 but has never run successfully. The new decision involves the fuel materials facility at the department s 300-Squarc-Milc Savannah River site. The Plant which the government says will be in non operational backup status performs chemical processing of uranium used in the nuclear reactors of submarines and surface ships. It is near three crippled reactors that used to make tritium for bombs those reactors arc closed now be cause of a variety of safely problems but the depart ment Hopes to reopen Ihm Laic next year. The decision will leave a Factor operated by a Pri vate company nuclear fuel services in Erwin tcnn., As the sole processor of naval nuclear fuel. The 34-year-old Erwin Plant has contaminated the water Supply beneath inc Plant with uranium Accord ing to recent congressional testimony. In the 1970s, it was found to be missing some of the uranium which is presumed to have escaped into the environment. It also has a history of labor unrest and its workers show an elevated level of kidney disease although a recent study by the National Institute for occupational safety and health found last year that the problem was not related to conditions at inc Plant. The kind of work that was to be performed at the fuel materials facility has been carried out for Many years at several locations. The Erwin Plant for example accepts uranium in liquid or gaseous form As uranium Hixa fluoride and processes it into a metallic form. The last step turning the Metal into fuel rods for the naval reactors is carried out by private contractors in Connecticut and Virginia. In a Brief announcement the department said the projected demand for fuel no longer justifies the Cost of operating two  in written answers to questions Friday the Energy department said it was closing the new Plant rather than the old one because it makes More sense to retain the government owned factory As a backup than to use n private Plant As a Reserve. The department said it is approximately Correct to say that the Plant had been unable to operate at More than 40 percent of its design capacity but it added there arc no known areas of the process that could not reach design capacity with additional operating  the department said it needs Only one Plant because of a reduction in the Navy s projected nuclear ship building program and because of improved technology that allows reactor cores to last longer reducing the need for refuelling. In addition the announcement said better manufacturing techniques allow the production of each reactor Core with less fuel. The Plant being closed employs about 600 people and they will be absorbed into other projects the department said. Newlyweds hit Road on Long haul Dalton a. A a vehicle tooling Down the Road with just married streamers on it Al ways turns a few Heads but wind in Fuchs and Gerald inc swagger s honeymoon coach turned More Heads than  getting married thursday at the Whitfield county court House the pair drove off in his 18 wheel or which had been suitably adorned by family and friends. It s just something different and we wanted to do it said Windec a truck Driver. For their wedding trip the Fuches headed for Oryland in Nashville. Mother Teresa receives pacemaker Calcutta India a doctors implanted a pacemaker in Mother Teresa to steady her heartbeat but they feared she might be developing pneumonia a Hospital source said sunday. Doctors at Woodlands nursing Home gave the 79-year-old roman Catholic nun a temporary pacemaker saturday night after her heartbeat became irregular said a Hospital source who spoke on condition of anonymity. While the pacemaker corrected her heart problem Mother Teresa had a High fever and was not responding to antibiotics the source said. The fever is causing the doctors More concern right now than her heart. Her fever is very High and she has not been responding adequately to antibiotics. They think she might have pneumonia the source said. He said the frail soft spoken nun was conscious but heavily sedated. Meanwhile or. Vinconzo Bilotti Mother Teresa s longtime cardiologist in Rome said he was preparing to travel to Calcutta. Mother Teresa whose Devotion to the destitute and dying earned her the 1979 Nobel peace prize became ill sept. 3. She was admitted to the Hospital s intensive care unit tuesday with a High fever and irregular heartbeat. She suffered a heart attack Friday. Bom in Yugoslavia Mother Teresa received several honors for her work with the poor in this Eastern Indian City including the Nobel prize and the presidential medal of Freedom the highest . Civilian award which was bestowed on her in i98s by former president Reagan. Bilotti said Mother Teresa has had similar ailments in the past due in part to her refusal to rest. Mother Teresa who gave up a comfortable life As a Convent teacher to live and work among Calcutta s poor founded the missionaries of Charity in a abandoned Hostel donated by City officials. The order recognized by the vat ican in i96s, now has 3,000 nuns work ing in 87 countries. Despite heart problems and failing Eye sight in recent years she travelled widely and vigorously spoke out against abortion. Mother being the person she is has never wanted to Stop and now unfortunately she is ill Bilotti said