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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1978)
30 speak out against PGE proposal By KATHLEEN MONJE Of the Emerald Testimony from more than 30 people strongly opposed Portland General Electric (P6E) Company’s request to the federal Atomic and Safety Licensing Board to increase its storage capacity for spent nuclear fuel. The public hearing on PGE’s request, which began Wednesday in Portland is expected to continue through Jan. 20. PGE hopes to obtain approval from the board for extension of its storage capacity for radioactive material, from four to ten years. The power company contends it needs the extension because it must replace, in stages and be fore 1982, the fuel core at the Tro jan Nuclear Power Plant. Among speakers opposing the extension was Janet Gillaspie, di rector of the University Survival Center. Her statement took ex ception to the Oregon Assistant Attorney General’s opinion that expansion of spent fuel storage does not violate a state law pro hibiting permanent radioactive waste storage. “Hollow pledges by the federal government (to provide for nu dear waste storage) do not alter legislative intent to prohibit the storage of radioactive wastes in Oregon,” Gillaspie told the board. Also of concern to the Survival Center is the increased heat addi tional spent fuel will release into the Columbia River, affecting salmon. "Expansion of the spent fuel pit will increase heated water dis charged into the Columbia River by 2.4 million BTU’s per hour,” Gil laspie said. Because Trojan refueling is scheduled in the spring during the Awards give professors more time, $ for research Because research is often time-consuming, the University of fers several research awards so professors can devote more energy to special projects without neglecting their teaching obliga tions. Fred Wilhelm, who manages the program, says there are three kinds of awards financed mainly with state funds allocated to the University office of scientific and scholarly research. Professors wishing to take an academic year for a project should make formal applications to the graduate school, including an itemized budget. The academic year award can be used for travel, equipment or a graduate assis tant, and averages from $500 to $2500. Summer awards are given mainly to non-tenured professors because they often have more dif ficulty getting established in re search. "It s really just a stipend,” says Wilhelm. “This way they don’t have to teach or get another job for the summer and they can pursue their research.” Lane VISTA grows Lane County Commissioners recently approved a contract with VISTA to place up to 40 VISTA volunteers in the County in 1978. According to VISTA director Rob Bunnett, the federal govern ment gives VISTA a certain number of work months each year. They received 264 months this year, just enough to maintain the 28 volunteers they currently omploy* VISTA is a part of ACTION, which is sponsored by the federal .-— government. Their main goal is to solve poverty problems. “VISTA is the domestic equivalent of Peace Corps,” says Bunnett. Volunteers sign up for a one year contract to work with a gov ernment or non-profit agency within Lane County. VISTA helps the volunteers with all training, placement and problems that might occur. The volunteers are given allow ances directly from the govern ment. GIL SCOTT-HERON AND BRIAN JACKSON with The Midnight Band And Special Guests, THE SCHWEBKE BROTHERS BAND THURSDAY, JANUARY 12 lane county dvic center, 13th & Madison TICKETS: $5.50 ADVANCE $8.50 DAY OF SHOW SHOW TIMES: 730 & 1030 EMU Main Desk, Everybody's Records, Sun Shop, Chrystalship Summer awards are for about $2,000 and applicants do not have to submit budgets with their appli cations. A new award is 'release time,” which is provided during the academic year for professors so they can work on research without having to teach at the same time or so they can teach fewer classes than usual. Departments usually use professors’ regular salaries to hire other instructors during the “release time.” Deadline for research award applications is Feb. t. Professors may pick up applications at the graduate school. Wilhelm says the results should be known by April. r Columbia River salmon run, she said, the increased water temper atures could potentially eliminate the fish on the river. “The salmon are extremely sensitive to increases in water temperature, within one-third of one degree....increased water temperatures from other sources have already severely damaged the salmon run,” according to her testimony. Peter Bergel, a former Eugene resident and Trojan Decom missioning Alliance member now living in Sheridan, enlivened the hearing when he refused to com ply with five-minute testimony limit. Chairer Sheldon Wolfe ordered Bergel to stop when he exceeded the limit, but Bergel refused and continued reading. Wolfe then ad journed the hearing for lunch and left with the rest of the panel. After the recess, Wolfe gave Bergel another five minutes to finish his statement. Bergel ac cused PGE officials of lying during the 1976 nuclear ballot measure campaign when they said PGE had no plans to store nuclear waste in Oregon for long periods of time. State Sen. Ted Hallock also spoke in opposition, saying Oregon law does forbid long-term radioactive waste storage in Oregon. Hallock said the Legisla ture intended to ban such storage in oills passed in 1975 and 1977. He disagreed with the opinion the PGE request does not violate state law, saying “That ruling will be litigated.” The continuing hearing will move to the U.S. Court of Appeals chamber in the Portland Pioneer Courthouse on Monday. Don Godard, director of the state De partment of Energy Trojan monitoring program, said all ques tions raised by witnesses wiil be addressed. 'OREGON DANCE THEATER An Excellent New Company from Ashland PERFORMING An ORIGINAL Concert JAN. 6 * 7, Wow Hall 8pm ©1977 MUMP KCL5 / ONCIC SAM CHARACTER »V GARV CitfTIERWUC SUN. JANUARV 22 7-30 P.Vi. IR COURT »»« jSSSM&mim Mr op nm GE»ie*L F*ftUCU.» A5V.fZ» moWSHGN. RESERVED SEATS«**7.S0
