European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday april 24, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 5east s reactors still called hazardous from wire reports Rockville my. A despite years of Western efforts the Chance of a serious Accident at nuclear plants in the former soviet Union and Eastern Europe remains too High the chairman of the . Nuclear regulatory commission said wednesday. Some installations can never be brought up to Western safety standards commission staff members said. Others can be improved but now Lack Basic protective measures such As fire doors they said. The chairman of the commission Ivan Selin said some measures that would improve safety in the longer term were under Way or had been promised. A a they re getting better but not very fast a he said. A they take two and a half Steps Forward and then two Steps  the . Council for Energy awareness a Trade association representing the american nuclear Industry said wednesday that it too was following the operations of soviet designed plants a with heightened  referring to the Commonwealth of Independent states Council spokesman Steven w. Unglesbee said a five years ago they had a political consensus they done to Nave now. Everyone loses sight of the fact that these Are new  As such he said the new countries May have trouble meeting the challenges of nuclear operation. Selin said it would take $10 billion to $15 billion to bring existing plants in the Cis and Eastern Europe up the former soviet Union and Eastern Europe take two and a half Steps Forward and then two Steps Back a arc chairman Ivan Satin to acceptable standards. Now he said Power is sold for about 20 percent of what it costs to produce so there Are scant resources for improvements. He suggested that the West offer Loans to facilitate improvements. Of particular concern to officials Are the 15 chernobyl Type reactors still operating in the former soviet Union. Such a reactor caused the worlds worst nuclear Plant Accident in Ukraine in 1986. The same Type of reactor also was involved in an Accident last month that damaged radioactive fuel. The latest Accident shows that the chernobyl Type reactors will remain dangerous As Long As they Are in service the officials said. In the latest Accident on March 24 at the Sosnow Bor 3 reactor near St. Petersburg a stuck valve shut off Cooling water in one of 1,661 pressurized fuel tubes that run through the Graphite Core. Radioactive gases were released into the atmosphere and the temperature in the reactor Rose so fast that the fuel was damaged even though the reactor was shut Down within five seconds according to the nuclear regulatory commissions executive director James m. Taylor. Damage to fuel is the most feared Type of nuclear Accident because it could result in melting and the release of massive amounts of radioactivity. Such an Accident occurred at three mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979. The St. Petersburg reactor is a Type known As a blk which Taylor noted has a some very undesirable  it was an a blk reactor that caused pressure Core. The Accident at chernobyl when a multiple tube failure blew apart the entire radioactive but Selin said the a bks will continue to operate for years in Russia Ukraine and Lithuania because there is no replacement source of electricity. A we have Little Choice but to hold our nose while pressing ahead with International programs to improve the safety and operating procedures at the former soviet plants he Saia. The problems at the reactors the commission staff said include electrical cables that control several safety systems or Supply the systems with Power often run through common ducts. A single fire could disable All of the safety systems. Accident investigation is aimed at finding and fining individuals responsible rather than eliminating mechanical or procedural problems. In thl stars and stripes10 years ago april 24,1982 a British warships heading for the Falkland islands came within striking distance of strategic South Georgia Island and members of Britain a naval task Force were ordered to defense stations a the highest state of War readiness Short of combat alert.20 years ago april 24,1972 a heavily armed guerrillas of the outlawed Irish Republican army threw up sandbag fortifications around roman Catholic areas in Londonderry Northern Ireland saying a British invasion was imminent.30 year Sago april24,1962-theunited states launched the Ranger 4 spacecraft and scientists hoped to guide it to a Landing on the Moon within the next two days.40 years ago april 24,1952 a w. Averell Harri Man director of the Mutual Security Agency announced he would be Quot an Active candidate Quot for the democratic presidential nomination. World War ii 50 years ago today 24 april19 4 �2 German heavy bombers attack the historic English City of Exeter in retaliation for the Royal air Force s devastating air raid on Lubeck in late March it is the first of the Luftwaffe s Quot Baedeker raids a so named because the terror attacks Are aimed at historic British cities selected from the Baedeker tourist guide As a Way to avenge Lubeck. Bush dec Trade words but Little else by the los Angeles times Washington president Bush and top european Community officials failed wednesday to resolve a handful of issues blocking a 108-nation agreement that would boost world economic activity by an estimated $5 trillion Over the next decade. A we exchanged a lot of ideas a agreed . Trade representative Carla a. Hills. But she conceded a i done to think any of the ideas hit  the ideas were exchanged in a meeting among Bush european commission president Jacques Delors and Anibal Cavaco Silva the portuguese prime minister who is serving in the rotating position of european Community president. Although both sides vowed to press Forward and stressed that Success of the 6-year-old negotiations is crucial to the world Economy the Lack of Progress added to a perception that the talks Are dead for this year and possibly forever. A i definitely think the noises coming out Are not very promising a said Robert Lawrence an economist at Harvard University in Cambridge mass. The talks began in 1986, As an Effort to rewrite badly outdated Post world War ii rules that govern International Trade. Although the system worked quite Well for decades it never covered such increasingly important areas of International Commerce As agriculture and financial services. As a result nations have been turning to protectionism and raw political muscle to Settle their Trade disputes. Europe a policy of heavily subsidizing its Farmers remains the biggest stumbling Block. Although these subsidies enjoy potent political support in such countries As Germany and France other agricultural exporting countries complain that it makes it impossible for their Farmers to compete on the International Market. It is Clear that the talks a known As the Uruguay round because they were conceived at an International meeting there a will fall far Short of those goals. But even the More modest package now under consideration which Calls for a 30 percent reduction in Overall tariffs could Oost worldwide Trade in goods and services by almost $200 billion a year according to an estimate from the Paris based organization for economic cooperation and development. Job training program pays off in California research says source 2194 Days of War w h Smith publishers inc., world almanac Book of world War ii. Bison books corp1981 a by the los Angeles times Sacramento Calif. Californians work training program succeeded in reducing government spending by getting significant numbers of welfare recipients into jobs says a study to be released thursday. Research on californians greater avenues for Independence or gain program provides the first major evidence that mandatory welfare to work programs with Strong emphasis on Basic education can produce substantial results. The study commissioned by the state department of social services is expected to provide new impetus for the Job opportunities and Basic skills program called jobs. The program initiated by Congress imposes obligations on recipients but at the same time offers services designed to move them into jobs. The study also adds support to the philosophy embodied in the 1988 family support act that the acceptance of government Aid must carry with it an obligation to get off the Public Dole As soon As possible. The report found that in the first year of participating in gain single parents a mostly mothers a earned an average of 17 percent More than members of a group not in the program and received 5 percent less in welfare payments. Conducted by the non profit manpower demonstration research corp., the study focused on gain programs in six widely different California counties a los Angeles san Diego Tulare Butte Alameda and Riverside a and included 33,000 welfare recipients. But the study a authors insisted it was too Early to draw conclusions about the Long term Success of gain. But the fact that Riverside showed notably better results than any other is expected to influence on the programs course. The program in Riverside placed heavy emphasis on continuous Job Hunting and made More frequent use of sanctions penalizing families that showed poor attendance in the program by reducing their welfare Grant. But Christopher Jencks a sociologist at Northwestern University in Evanston 111., said that some a Small positive benefits wont solve the problem of burgeoning welfare Rolls. A if you want to Cut the caseload 50 percent you re going to have to do something much More dramatic a Jencks told the new York times. With 17 percent of the nations welfare recipients California has the nations largest and most comprehensive work training program for welfare recipients. At any one time it has about 175, xxx recipients enrolled in  talks May face impasse Washington a israeli negotiators will come to Mideast peace talks in Washington next week ready to discuss with palestinian arabs ways to extend limited self Rule in the West Bank and Gaza israeli officials say. As a result the talks due to open on monday could quickly come to a head since the palestinians objected during negotiations last month to any interim agreements that did not hold out at least the Promise of statehood. If the palestinians totally reject israelis blueprint for discussions an immediate impasse could develop since Israel is equally Adamant that the negotiations Are about limited self Rule and not a palestinian state. Jordan Syria and Lebanon also will Send delegations to the talks. It will be the fifth round since a ceremonial opening last october in Madrid Spain. Bush administration officials have urged All sides to try to narrow their differences and to tackle the key issues of peace recognition and Security now that some difficult procedural disputes have been resolved