Letters

A meeting of like minds

I appreciated the “Bulletins” section article describing the mathematical approach to the nuclear weapons problem (”And the Risk of Nuclear Annihilation is …” by Sarah Horowitz, September/October 2000).

I was amused by the remark about fellow theorists Bradford Lyttle, Martin Hellman, and me: “The three have never met. And it's probably a good thing.” Perhaps we could meet some Fourth of July. With the fireworks that might result, a story covering the event could be titled, “Was It Fusion or Fission?”

Humor aside, I would enjoy meeting Lyttle, Hellman, and others who have also taken a mathematical approach to the nuclear problem. In my view, mathematically modeling (and understanding models) has the potential to lead to reasonable solutions.

I am especially glad the Bulletin took the trouble to research and draw attention to the mathematical side of the debate. To the best of my knowledge this has not been done previously in the Bulletin. It was a helpful contribution.

Ike Jeanes

Pulaski, Virginia

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Liked the cover

I have been a fan of your publication for many years and have watched your format evolve into what it is today. Just want to say, “Bravo”!

I was especially excited to see the Chestly Bone-stell painting—used as a background still for the movie Destination Moon—on the cover of the September/October 2000 Bulletin. It was an excellent choice. I also enjoyed the cover design, which was reminiscent of Life magazine covers from that period. Very retro.

Keep up the good work, which is so important given the transitional state of the world today.

David Marine

Chicago, Illinois

Targeting the targeters

I was pleasantly surprised to read William Arkin's column (“The SIOP— Forever Immoral”) in the September/October 2000 Bulletin. About two years ago, as a senior at Duke University, I wrote a lengthy paper on the same subject—nuclear targeting—for a political science class. Needless to say, there was a lot of opposition from my classmates.

Kudos to Arkin and the Bulletin for publicizing a more prudent, yet less popular, targeting strategy. Perhaps once we understand that any nuclear targeting strategy, countervalue or counterforce, will result in massive civilian devastation, we will find a more ethical strategy that requires a greatly decreased nuclear arsenal. It seems to be the only way to continue strategic arms reductions.

Nicole Raymond

Alexandria, Virginia

Right take on Chiapas

I want to express my great satisfaction with regard to Michael Flynn's article, “Chiapas: No Place Like Home,” in the September/October Bulletin. With my previous work at the Washington Office on Latin America, I have a deep interest in both Mexican politics and human rights issues and I felt the article was beautifully written and accurately expressed the difficult internal situation that has continued in that region throughout the past several years.

Amy Rossi

Federation of American Scientists, Washington, D.C.

India's nuclear reactors

In his article “In the Comfort of Secrecy” (November/December 1999 Bulletin), T. S. Gopi Rethinaraj combines all the arguments of India's anti-nuclear activists. We feel that your esteemed journal needs a more objective appraisal of India's atomic energy program.

India's Department of Atomic Energy (dae) wants to set the record straight by pointing out that safety is of the utmost concern to us, and our expertise is internationally acknowledged. Engineers from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (npc) have shared their expertise internationally through safety reviews as well as inspections in other countries conducted by the World Association of Nuclear Operators and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Npc continuously updates its safety systems and procedures, and all of its plants are designed, constructed, commissioned, operated, and maintained under the strict supervision of India's independent Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. All safety-related improvements directed by the regulatory board have been implemented by dae.

Npc has more than 160 reactor-years of experience with good safety, operating, and environmental records. All of its safety measures conform with regulatory board and international standards. To date, India's nuclear facilities have not reported any event beyond a level three incident (on a scale of zero to seven) as defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency's “International Nuclear Event Scale.” This excellent safety record cannot be called luck but is the result of the tireless efforts put in by dae engineers and scientists.

It has been the practice of the regulatory board to notify station directors and npc executives of improvements in safety procedures. The regulatory board has not come under any pressure from dae to suppress this information; instead it has overseen its implementation in a timely manner.

There are a number of special interests running down India's self-reliant achievements in nuclear energy, and these special interests use the media to create fear with their sensational language. Such writers are in no way interested in nuclear safety but in criticizing Indian achievements. As far as public confidence in Indian nuclear safety, it is unquestionably very high.

The author paints a concocted picture of the facts and shows his lack of knowledge about the potential of our scientists, our engineers, and Indian industry as a whole. For example, at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, even though its number one and two reactors are more than 25 years old, their lives have been extended. Even the uninspectable parts have been inspected using sophisticated robots developed by dae and Indian industries. Its reactors have been found to be safe. The author seems to make an imaginary statement about the regulatory body being unaware of the reliability of spares. After any major plant shutdown or repair, regulatory board clearance is secured for startup. If the reactor cannot run without genuine spares, then how is it that Tarapur reactors have operated without any reportable accidents since 1974 (the Pokhran I nuclear weapons test)?

Similarly, the reported underground leaks from the research reactors, reprocessing plants, and dumping of wastes in lagoons have all been investigated, and reports are available to prove that the public has not been affected by any release of radioactivity.

The author is misleading the public by giving an impression that any amount of radiation is dangerous. Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity in 1896, and it is a natural phenomenon. It has been present since the beginning of the earth's existence. Some places have low levels while some places have high levels of natural radioactivity. People living in areas where natural radiation levels are high have not reported any harmful effects. Through science and technology, we have developed internationally accepted standards for safe radiation levels.

A lack of information and education among the Indian masses has caused their misguided myths about the Indian nuclear power programs. Added to this are the reports published with vested interests which create confusion among the masses. To take care of this, DAE and NPC conduct public awareness programs, take part in various exhibitions, distribute literature, and organize seminars to raise the scientific temper in the country. In addition to being available through in-house newsletters, this information is also available on the web at www.dae.org and www.npcil.org.

Arun Srivastava

Scientific Officer, Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, India