Satsop plant symbolizes nuclear problems
SATSOP, Wash (AP) - Out
past the Elma Airport and Cafe,
on a ridge carved in the hills
above the Chehalis River, sits
an appropriate symbol of the
hard times befallen the nuclear
industry
While Three Mile Island in
Pennsylvania may have been
the plant which proved nuclear
systems aren't faii-safe, and
Diablo Canyon in California is
the current rallying point for the
Effective Nov. 7th
UO Bookstore
changes
Saturday
hours
The U of O Bookstore will
now be open 10:00 am-3:00
pm on Saturdays, effective
tomorrow. Nov 7th
anti-nuclear movement, it is the
Washington Public Power Sup
ply System's No 5 plant here
that reflects the realities of
trying to build a nuclear plant
The plant is being mothballed
along with a second supply
system nuclear plant under
construction at the Hanford
nuclear reservation in central
Washington
Financing is the bane of the
nuclear industry these days as
high interest rates have sent
construction costs soaring
There is also a nagging lack of
support for what was once
considered the salvation of an
energy short country
"The primary reason we had
to stop was money." said Dale
Dobson, project manager "The
financial community also
sensed a lack of support "
The supply sytem's plants are
not the only two nuclear power
projects being delayed
"Many are being mothballed
and for the same reason as ours
— the funding situation," said
Dobson
The workforce here is being
reduced from about 800 to 30
The reactor vessel for the plant,
made of 460 tons of carbon
steel, and the plant's two steam
generators. 740 tons each, lie
by a muddy road Their white
protective coating will shield
them from the 70 inches of rain
that usually falls in Satsop on
the Olympic Peninsula of
Western Washington
Construction crews two
weeks ago topped off the plant's
500-foot cooling tower, the last
major project before
mothballing Gigantic cranes
and scaffolding are coming
down
Plastic sheets are being
placed over hatches and ducts
in the shield wall, a 2V4 inch
thick, steel egg that will sur
round the reactor
The place is already deserted
"It's kind of depressing." said
Dobson "For anyone in the
construction business it is sad
to see "
Public relations types grin
weakly when asked if the
mothballs will be stored in the
unfinished containment
building
"It's more than just putting up
a fence," Richard Romanelli, a
supply system spokesman, said
of the mothballing
It's officially called "an
extended construction delay"
and it amounts to a $150 million
gamble that 20 months from
now construction on the two
nuclear projects will be
restarted
"Life is a gamble," said Ed
Morris, who heads the
committee which oversees the
two plants for the 88 public
utilities participating in the two
mothballed plants
Morris made the comment
shortly after the supply system's
board gave the go ahead for
mothballing a week ago The
fragile plan for mothballing was
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forged after weeks of tortuous
negotiations involving the
participants, the regions
private utilities and about a
dozen large industrial firms,
mostly aluminum companies
More than a billion dollars has
already been spent on the sup
ply system s No 5 plant here
When started in 1978, it was
estimated the plant would cost
$19 billion The present cost
estimate is $6 2 billion
The plant, which is about 16
percent complete, is more than
two years behind schedule
already If finished, It would
produce enough electricity to
supply a city the size of Seattle
Supply system officials are
betting interest rates will fall
over the next 20 months and
that the newly formed regional
energy council will decide the
power from the plants will be
needed The council has until
July 1983 to issue a plan which
will chart the region s energy
future to the year 2000
"You know if you have a
house half-built and you decide
to stop for two years it's always
more expensive to finish.” said
WPPS worker Larry Formol.
while working over a motor
deep in the basement of the
plant's reactor building
"But it will be a big waste if
they don’t start it up again
Mock trials
draw teams
Using fake cases and mock
courts, first-year law students
from around the Northwest will
participate in a regional Moot
Court competition at the
University Law Center
The moot court' is designed
to give the first-year students a
chance to learn firsthand how
the court system operates
Teams from Gonzaga. Idaho
Lewis and Clark, Montana
Puget Sound. Washington,
Willamette and the University
will participate in the three-day
event
The first round began
Thursday at 5:30 p m with the
mock trials to continue through
Saturday The final round is set
to begin at 3:30 pm on
Saturday
Moot Court Schedule
Thursday
Round 1—5 p m
Round 1 — 7:30 p m
Friday
Round 2 — 5 p m
Round 3 — 7:30 p m
Saturday
Quarterfinals — 10 a m
Semifinals — 1 pm
Finals — 3:30 p m
Employee
gets award
Harry Houchins, the Universi
ty photographer, has been
given the Oregon Employee
Suggestion Award for cutting -
costs in the darkroom
University Pres Paul Olum
presented the award to
Houchins Thursday for his
efforts to reclaim silver from
used photographic chemicals
Houchins provides
photographs for catalogues,
news releases, and other
publications that are used by
the University