Come explore the innards of a nuke plant
The great white plume wasn’t
out to greet us as we approached
the Trojan nuclear power plant
near Rainier. The plume is the
plant's telltale sign of operation
and usually billows forth from the
500-foot, hyperbolic water cool
ing tower. Pure water vapor, it
makes for a festive welcome flag.
But I didn’t miss the plume. In
fact, I relished its absence, which
meant the plant was shut down
during our visit and we’d thereby
tour a little more safely one of
man’s most potentially hazardous
creations.
Portland General Electric,
operator of the Trojan plant, had
been giving press tours all week
and now it was our turn. Arriving,
we entered the visitor center, a
mini Disney land in looks, cleanli
ness and games. Plant superin
tendent Bart Whithers welcomed
us with a helpful slide show of the
plant’s layout and design.
Story and photo
By MARTHA BLISS
Of the Emerald
“For those of you who’ve had
little or no exposure to
Trojan...,” he began. Expos
ure? I nudged my friend and we
both laughed nervously at
Whittier’s word choice.
Whithers went on to explain
how the plant uses uranium fis
sion reactions to heat and convert
water into steam which provides
power to spin the turbine
generator for electricity.
The huge water cooling tower
we saw on the way in, he said,
circulated water from the Colum
bia River to condense the
fission-heated steam for reuse.
The water vapor plume, he exp
lained, is the result of this cooling
process.
Whithers also said the plant
was shut down that week for
maintenance and inspection for
potential leaks — major threats
for any nuclear plant.
After Whithers’ introduction, we
were off to the plant, but not with
out a whole slew of safety and
No, those aren’t the fellows from Woody Allen’s movie “Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know about
Sex, But were Afraid to Ask.” They’re part of the crew that works in the bowels of the Trojan nuclear power
plant near Rainer.
security procedures.
First, we were handed "per
sonal ion chambers” to dip into
our pockets to record any radia
tion we might pick up during the
tour.
Then through metal detectors
and on to the electric bus. The
bus stopped just short of the plant
— more security procedures, this
time on the bus itself to uncover
any stowaways or weapons.
Donning our hats, we entered
the plant.
What appeared so simple in
Whithers’ slide show now loomed
in mass confusion. The generator
building was a pipe jungle; the
control room, a push-buttoned
sea.
Warning signs appeared
everywhere. Caution. Danger.
Radioactive Material.
A few doors ominously bore
"No Exit" labels. Our tour guide,
Fred Lamoureaux, confidently
opened one of these doors and
motioned us through. I gulped as
I obeyed and sheepishly felt like
an animal being led to slaughter.
We came to an expansive
room where the hot steam enters
the turbine, spinning the
generator to produce electricity.
Next stop was the "contain
ment building,” home of the
mighty nuclear fuel and radioac
tive water. This building is a
dome-shaped, three-and-a-half
foot thick concrete structure
which mounts to 200 feet high.
Because the plant was shut
down, the building’s doors were
wide open, thus revealing its
phenomenal innards.
Like courageous mice scam
pering about a slumbering cat, we
stood peering in at the gaping
abyss. Although the actual fuel
was located well below our sight,
we could visualize the whole
setup. Fuel down there. Hot water
up here. Steam coming out there.
Radiation everywhere.
Leaving the building, we took
more safety precautions with two
different types of radiation detec
tors. All around us were yellow
suited men working. Lamoureaux
explained that yellow meant po
tential contamination. Green sig
naled non-contamination.
There was lots of yellow and I
shivered with relief as we passed
our radiation tests and left.
Facts on Trojan
Total cost — $460 million.
Annual operating cost —
$10 million. Annual fuel
costs — $10 million. Cost if
built today — $1.2 billion.
Ownership — Portland
General Electric 67.5 per
cent, Eugene Water & Elec
tric 30 per cent, Pacific
Power and Light 2.5 per
cent. Plant lifetime — 40
years. Initial power genera
tion date — December,
1975. Energy output —
1,130,000 kilowatts (net).
Fuel — Reactor core will
contain 95 tons of enriched
uranium, one third of which
is replaced each year.
General fund monies may purchase Butte lots
By GARY NORRIS
Of the Emerald
City funds might exist to purch
ase the Skinner’s Butte property
on which a 56-unit apartment
complex will soon be built,
Eugene City Council members
were told Wednesday at a Com
mittee of the Whole meeting.
The money might come from
the city’s General Contingency
Fund, but Finance Director
Sherman Flogstad called it “aw
fully close” as to whether at least
$250,000 could be drawn from
the fund.
According to City Manager
Charles Henry, that sum repres
ents combined assessed value of
the property to be developed,
owned by George Sebits and
Russ Landres, and the lot directly
west of it, owned by Deryl Huling
of Huling Buick-Opel.
Huling has said he has no
plans to develop his property but
would be willing to sell it. His lot is
zoned M-2 (light industrial). The
Sebits-Landres property is zoned
y%S8SSS8S8SS8S
R-G (garden apartments).
According to Flogstad, the
general fund currently holds
$150,000 — more than enough to
purchase the Sebits-Landres
property at the assessed value.
Flogstad said the city council has
sole authority over the general
fund and can allocate money
from it for any purpose it wishes.
By condemning the property,
Flogstad said, the city could then
negotiate a sale with the owners.
Flogstad said once a condemna
tion suit has been filed, the owner
has no choice but to sell, al
though the courts might have to
decide on a price.
“But there would be no con
demnation unless we had a firm
intention to buy,” said Flogstad.
The city probably would not at
tempt to buy the Huling property
at this time because its owner has
no intention to build he said.
The $150,000 now in the gen
eral fund is not enough to buy
both pieces of property, but, ac
cording to Flogstad, $250,000
has been requested for the
ssssssssssssssssssssssss
1977-78 fiscal year.
The Whiteaker Community
Council and the Eugene Histone
Review Board feel development
of the property will impede the
public’s view of the historic
Shelton-McMurphy house, adja
cent to the Sebits-Landres prop
erty. They have asked the city to
purchase the land to prevent any
future development.
The Planning Dept., in recom
mending approval of construc
tion, noted the property is located
175 feet from the Shelton
McMurphy house and that inter
vening trees make any view of
the house from the development
“almost impossible.”
No one has said whether the
apartments would block the
public’s view of the house from
4th Street. The project does,
however, conform to the building
height limitation in the city code,
designed to protect the view of
Skinner’s Butte.
Council member Scott Lieual
len favored going ahead with
construction, calling the impact of
We need
Woodsteins
The Emerald is now accepting appli
cations for positions on next year’s and
this summer’s editorial staff. Swing on
up to the Emerald offices in Room 300,
EMU, pick up an application and turn it
in by 5 p.m., Friday the 13th. Nineteen
paid editorial positions are available.
The Emerald is an equal opportunity
employer, women, minorities and the
handicapped are encouraged to apply.
Page 12 Section A
me project a trade-off between
me view of the butte and down
town residential development.
“The butte will look different,
and in close mere will be some
impact,” Lieuallen said. “But we ll
preserve most of the view of the
butte.” He said the project rep
resents “a real gain,” and mere
are not enough disadvantages to
justity stopping rt.
The council did not move to
take any action towards purchas
ing the property. And any plans
for negotiations will have to be
laid soon as the owners were
to have applied for a building
permit Tuesday or Wednesday,
and should begin preliminary site
grading Thursday.
CLASSIFIEDS
(Personals continued
from Page 11 A)
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DELIVERS
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CHRIS CAMPBELL — Your timing is atrocious! I
have dass until 4! Cheers! Signed. P.D. 5:12
BOONEWALK, Bite the Dust. Peter's Peter.
Tee Hee, Showers. "DTMT," Grab by Greeks. Up
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WOLLENSAK 7” REEL-TO-REEL — needs ad
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687-8030. __JL12
WATCH OUT BACK DOOR. Pads Best Butt
(men and women) Night coming May
19th. 01702:13
THE VIDA BARN — Now taking reservations tor
spring term PARTIES. MEETINGS, PICNICS,
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PREGNANT? YOU HAVE A FRIEND AT BIRTH
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QUESTION!
Which method removes unwanted hair perma
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in the yellow pages. Electrology by
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SAVE
FRENCH
PETE
FOR MORE INFORMATION. SEE TABLE IN EMU
TODAY OR CALL 686-4356 01223 13
VETERANS
The VA provides funds
for tutorial assistance
For more info call 686-3232.
00504 Stl
SELF-STOR
INDIVIDUAL STORAGE UNIT RENTALS
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THIS WEEK AT MAX'S
Wednesday — Free pretzels 7 p.m.-2 a m.
Friday — Pitcher sale 4-6 p.m.
Saturday — Live Music (McKenzie River Boys) 9
p.m.-2 a.m.
Sunday — Jam Session 12-??
EVERYONE WELCOME
5:13
RAINBOW
of opportunities awaits you I
Positions in state and community affairs, financial
and administrative matters, student and program
advocacy, lobbying, research, press and media,
and internal university affairs ARE NOW OPEN!
President-Elect Gary Feldman is opening all posi
tions in order to successfully implement Ns cam
paign promises. If you think you can help, the op
portunity is herel Many work study positions availa
ble. Come to Suite 4 in the EMU tor an application
The ASUO is an Equal Opportunity Employer;
everyone encouraged to apply 01679:16
GET IN TOUCH.
STAY IN TOUCH
S.U.A.B Suite 4, EMU
686-3728
01672:13
Thursday, May 12, 1977