A new lawsuit against Alternate Energy Holdings - the Eagle-based company that promises to build a nuclear reactor in Payette County - has named Payette County as a co-defendant.

"Payette County's material assistance to AEHI's stock fraud scheme is a violation of Idaho Law and Public Policy," said a statement from a group of property owners who are plaintiffs in the suit. "The decisions made and actions taken by Payette County were the only validation of AEHI, a company with no assets, no customers, no revenues from any viable business, and no record of success on any of its hair-brained schemes."

The suit does not seek any damages but calls for a rescission of all decisions and actions taken by Payette County regarding AEHI, including rezoning and variances. You can read the full complaint here: AEHI_complaint.pdf.

AEHI and its CEO, Don Gillispie, recently settled with a group of its disgruntled shareholders, who had accused the company of misleading investors and grossly understating Gillispie's compensation. Gillispie must make a payment of $450,000 to those complainants by June 30 or face a $2 million federal penalty judgment.

A research facility at the Idaho National Laboratory was evacuated Monday when a welder's torch ignited a fire on the roof of the building. INL officials insisted that no radioactive material was involved in the incident and no one was hurt.

Nearly 100 employees were cleared from the building while firefighters worked on the blaze. The complex of buildings where the fire started is part of a sprawling 890-square-mile campus of facilities - some of which house spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste - about 38 miles from the city of Idaho Falls.

Several thousand employees and contractors work at the INL, the U.S. Energy Department's leading facility for nuclear reactor technology.

Federal officials are trying to determine the source of radioactive particles found among construction debris at the Idaho National Laboratory. The particles were discovered last week when a contractor came across traces of cesium and cobalt near INL's advanced test reactor complex.

A U.S. Department of Energy spokesman said the radioactive particles may have come from a past decontamination and/or demolition project.

"We're surveying people as they come in and out of the facility," said the DOE's Brad Bugger. "We're surveying vehicles as they come out of the facility, and we're trying to limit access to that area to make sure that nothing is getting off-site."

Bugger insisted that there was "no concern for people who are off-site," saying there was little health threat "unless you would get it onto your skin."

Alternate Energy Holdings, the embattled Eagle-based company with hopes of building a nuclear facility in Payette County, has entered into what is called "a material definitive agreement" with a group of disgruntled investors. AEHI and its CEO Don Gillispie will have to make a payment of $450,000 to the complainants by June 30. If the company makes the pay-off, the alleged claims go away. If AEHI doesn't come up with the money, the company faces a $2 million penalty judgment. The investors had purchased AEHI stocks between Sept. 20, 2006, and Dec. 14, 2010.

The Securities and Exchange Commission had alleged that AEHI misled investors and grossly understated Gillispie's compensation.

Meanwhile, Payette County commissioners recently overruled their county's Planning and Zoning Commission, giving AEHI the green light to begin what it called "its next phase" for the proposed nuclear plant—completing initial site improvements prior to commencing an environmental impact study.

Alternate Energy Holdings stock was trading at 5 cents a share last Friday.

Payette County Commissioners have overruled their county's Planning and Zoning Commission, giving Alternate Energy Holdings another green light to begin what it calls "its next phase" for a proposed nuclear power plant in Payette County.

On Jan. 12, Payette P&Z commissioners put a stay on any further development by AEHI pending the company's legal tangles at Boise's federal courthouse. That's where AEHI CEO Don Gillispie is answering to a 27-page complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging that the company defrauded the public.

But Gillispie still wanted to move forward with his plan to build a nuclear reactor in Southwest Idaho. After the P&Z decision, AEHI appealed to Payette County commisioners, and on Monday, they voted unanimously, agreeing with Gillispie that they can proceed with "preparation of federal site approval."

AEHI's next step is to submit construction permits to Payette P&Z for survey towers, in preparation for core boring and environmental studies.

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, visiting Eastern Idaho today, signed an executive order creating the Idaho Leadership in Nuclear Energy Commission. LINE will primarily focus on "how the Idaho National Laboratory can continue to play an important role in economic growth and energy security." The commission is also expected to to provide guidance to other Idaho industries, regulators and education institutions.

LINE was to be chaired by Jeff Sayer, Idaho's new Department of Commerce director. Membership will include representatives from state agencies, universities, members of the idaho Legislature and the INL.

"There are a number of issues external to INL - like the federal budget or national energy policy - that we simply can't control," said Otter. "I have asked the LINE commission to identify those areas where the State of Idaho does have a significant influence in strengthening the INL's leadership in the critical work of solving our state's and nation's most pressing energy, security and environmental challenges and report their recommendations back to me."

Internationally known anti-nuclear activist Joanna Macy is in Boise this weekend. The author of eight books, the 82-year-old Macy is in town as a guest of the Snake River Alliance, speaking this evening at Boise's First Congregational Church and leading a two-day workshop Saturday and Sunday at the Basque Center.

"I see hope in an actual readiness to open our eyes, minds and hearts," said Macy, who maintains a fairly active schedule in spite of her years.

"When you have a cause, and I have a lot of them, it brings me into contact with marvelous people," said Macy. "People who face up to nuclear power and nuclear-weapons production are some of the liveliest, soulful, energetic, funny and obstinate people I know."

You can read our full interview with Macy in the current edition of BW.

On Jan. 3, Alternate Energy Holdings, the wannabe nuclear developer, announced that it was "beginning its next phase on a proposed nuclear power plant in Payette County." That's not entirely true. In fact, Payette County's Planning and Zoning Commission put the brakes on "phase two," and on Jan. 12, P and Z said no a second time, denying AEHI's appeal to the original decision.

In December 2010, Payettte's P and Z had given a series of green lights to Don Gillispie, CEO for Alternate Energy Holdings, approving a rezone of a parcel of land in order for the developer to move forward with his plans to build a nuclear reactor. But since, AEHI was slapped with a series of court actions, alleging the company schemed "to manipulate and artificially inflate the market prices" of its stock. A group of Payette County citizens also appealed the original rezone in Idaho District Court. That was enough for P and Z commissioners to reconsider AEHI's request to move forward.

Lindsey Royston, P and Z adminsitrator, told Citydesk today that commissioners put a stay on any further development by AEHI, and when Gillispie and company disputed the decision on Jan. 12, commissioners voted 5-4 to deny the appeal. AEHI will have another opportunity to appeal the stay on Monday, Feb. 6, in front of Payette County commissioners.

Meanwhile, closed-door mediation continues at Boise's federal courthouse, where AEHI is answering to a 27-page complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission, alleging that the company defrauded the public.

After spending more than a month at the Idaho National Laboratory, a team of federal investigators has returned to Washington, D.C., to finish a report concerning a Nov. 8 accident, which exposed 17 workers to radiation. At least one worker inhaled plutonium during the accident. According to the Idaho Falls Post Register, all 17 employees are back at work and undergoing consistent monitoring.

INL officials have yet to disclose details about the amount or location of the dose of plutonium that each worker was exposed to during the incident. The report from the U.S. Energy Department is expected to be made public in January.

UPDATE: 11:20 a.m.
Snake River Alliance, which adamantly opposed Areva's efforts to build a uranium enrichment facility in Eastern Idaho, said today's announcement that the French-based company would suspend its plans, came "as no surprise and is further evidence that the so-called nuclear renaissance is a mirage."

"It's regrettable that the state, Bonneville County and the city of Idaho Falls have invested so much in a project that is doomed to failure," said Alliance Executive Director Liz Woodruff. "But it's better that the project be stopped now rather than later. Idaho should be planning for a clean energy future rather than clinging to a dangerous technology that will leave a legacy of deadly waste."

ORIGINAL POST 9:00 a.m.

In an overnight shocker, France-based Areva announced it would suspend its plans for building a nuclear enrichment facility near Idaho Falls.

In a meeting with financial analysts in Paris this morning, Areva CEO Luc Oursel said the company is expected to experience more than $2 billion in losses. As a result, the company plans to cut as many as 1,500 jobs in Europe and suspend a number of global projects, including the Eagle Rock enrichment facility in eastern Idaho.

In October, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Areva a license to build the $3.2 billion gas centrifuge uranium plant beginning in 2012. Areva had promised to begin operations at the facility in 2014.

Areva isn't expected to ramp up its plans again anytime soon. Oursel told investors this morning that his company would cut its total investments by 34 percent as part of a "five-year turnaround plan."

Worldwide Areva employs 8,000 people, including 6,000 in France.

Oursel took over from longtime Areva CEO Anne Lauvergeon in July after the executive known as "Atomic Anne" lost some support from the French government, which owns nearly 75 percent of Areva's capital.