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.
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