Oregon daily emerald., February 16, 1978, Section A, Page 4, Image 4

Field burning dangers revealed
City inhaling more pollution
By MADELEINE MATHEW
Of the Emerald
Field burning may be three times more hazard
ous to the health of Eugene residents than was origi
nally suspected, the city oouncil learned Wednesday
during their regular meeting.
Terry Smith, an environmental analyst for
Eugene’s public works planning department, said his
studies show that the pollution caused by field burn
ing may have been seriously underestimated in the
past because standard measuring methods don’t re
oord all of the particulate matter caused by field burn
ing.
Smith, who has studied information about field
burning and the methods used to measure its effect
on air quality, added that field burning may have a
worse impact on the city than slash burning.
He also said that certain chemicals found in field
burning smoke are carcinogens which could prove to
be a health hazard.
“I’m not saying that it causes cancer,” Smith
explained, “but we need more research to determine
the actual concentration of this matter in field burning
smoke.”
Smith told the oouncil that the way burning is
scheduled, the reduction of acreage burned and mod
ifications in burning practices oould all be used to help
reduce the level of smoke and pollutants in the air
during the burning season.
He cited some practical and economically feasi
ble burning methods which are currently used in
California and oould possibly reduce field burning
emissions 50 percent. He suggested burning on al
ternate years, prohibiting burning the straw if it has a
moisture content of over 12 percent, and using the
“backfiring" technique. Backfiring is a practice of
burning in the wind which results in complete oom
bustion and a lesser smoke density.
The 1975 legislature approved burning limits of
95,000 acres for 1977 and 50,000 for this year. But
the 1977 legislature revised those limits to 195,000
acres for 1977 and 180,000 for this summer.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) ruled last month that the state had violated
national clean air standards by allowing burning in
excess of 95,000 acres last year. The State Depart
ment of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is now prepar
ing a temporary oontrol strategy to demonstrate to the
EPA that measures are being taken to control air
pollution.
Last month the DEQ announced that it will con
duct a $400,000 air quality monitoring program this
summer to determine the impact of field burning in the
Willamette Valley.
The council agreed to advocate the use of new
burning techniques and urge that adequate monitor
ing, commencing immediately, be included in any
DEQ/EPA agreement of burning standards.
Mayor Gus Keller said Eugene will continue to
press for a strict limit on the acreage that can be
burned this summer.
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Music, food, films
highlight festivities
of ethnic symposium
Next week’s Seoond Annual Multi-Cultural Historical Sym
posium Week, Feb. 20-24, will feature music, dance, lectures,
food, films and other cultural events with an emphasis on the
histories and cultures of Asian Americans, Afro-Americans and
Native Americans.
The University Asian American Student Union (AASU),
Black Student Union (BSU) and Native American Student Union
(NASU) are jointly sponsoring the week to celebrate each group’s
cultural background.
Festivities will culminate in a multi-cultural dinner/show Feb.
24 at 6 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom. A dinner of barbecued chicken,
fried won ton, greens, fried bread and com on the cob will precede
live entertainment by sponsoring union members.
Singing, traditional Native American dancing, poetry,
Japanese dancing and martial arts are scheduled at the event.
Tickets for the dinner/show are $2.50 and may be purchased at
the EMU Main Desk. A disco will follow the dinner in the EMU,
Room 167. Admission is $1.
Kicking off the week will be Nobuko Joanne Miyamoto and
Bennie Yee of “Warriors of the Rainbow," an Asian American
movement band of national fame. The two will give a concert of
original material Monday at 8 p.m. in the EMU Ballroom. Tickets
are $3 and may be purchased at the EMU Main Desk.
Roger Brower, nationally known Sioux artist, will speak
Wednesday at 12 p.m. in the EMU Forum Room. There is no
admission charge.
The award-winning films, ‘‘At the Time of Whaling," and “The
People are Dancing Again,” will be shown Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at
Longhouse, 1606 Columbia, free of charge.
"At the Time of Whaling” tells about whaling from the Es
kimos’ point of view and explains why it is an important part of their
culture. The second movie explores the history of the Siletz Indian
tribe, the Siletz experience with tribal status termination and their
struggle for restoration.
AASU members will combine poetry, history and commen
tary with judo, kung fu and karate in a martial arts demonstration
Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the EMU, Room 167. Admission is $1
and tickets are available in the EMU Main Desk.
Handicapped education
featured at conference
By RICHARD SEVEN
Of the Emerald
A three-day series of workshops
and panels for persons working
with handicapped children and
adults, begins today at the Univer
sity.
The 13th annual Oregon Con
ference is sponsored by the Uni
versity Center of Human De
velopment and the College of
Education. Approximately 500
persons are expected to register
for the Friday and Saturday ses
sions.
Phillip Burke, branch chief of the
Western region and special pro
jects from the U.S. Bureau of Edu
cation for Handicapped, will give
the keynote address at the first
general session, Friday at 8:45
a m. in the EMU. He will speak on
“Can a Free, Appropriate, Public
Education Be Provided for Hand
icapped Children of the Nation?"
Two pre-conference programs
will be offered, one on epilepsy
and the other on hyperactivity.
James McDonald, University pro
fessor of special education, and
Emanuel Lotto of Eugene School
District 4-J, will present the
hyperactivity program.
Participants may also attend
seven different workshops Friday
and Saturday.
Nonda Stone, coordinator of the
conference, says she expects
many “regular" education people
at the conference.
Because of the new public
law encouraging mainstreaming of
handicapped children into regular
classes, “Stone says, “the new
emphasis seems to be integrating
the handicapped students rather
than segregating them."
The Telephone Pioneers of
America will display miniature
models of unique communication
devices designed specifically for
handicapped persons at 12:30
p.m. in 101 EMU. Included in the
display will be a “talking teddy
bear."
Registration for the Friday and
Saturday sessions will be at 8
am., Room 108 EMU. Conference
cost is $12.50, but full-time stu
dents will be charged only $3.50.
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