Evacuation plans ludicrous
Nuclear survival a ‘fantasy’
By Chuck Palahniuk
Of the Emerald
Despite government disaster plans, if there is
a nuclear attack on Eugene you will probably die,
according to City Manager Michael Gleason.
Cities, states, counties, federal govern
ments cannot do anything to mitigate the damage
of a nuclear war on the civilian population, and
they ought not lie to the public about it,” Gleason
said in an EMIJ speech Friday. The speech, titled
“Community Planning for a Potential Nuclear
Disaster”, was sponsored by the University Arms
Control Forum.
Gleason said the National Defense Act of
1953 created the Federal Emergency Management
Agency to plan for large scale disasters, including
nuclear war. industrial accidents and terrorism.
But he argued that there is no way FEMA
could make plans for saving cilians from a
nuclear attack, that such existing plans are
ludicrous, and that FEMA’s and America’s
energies would be much better spent planning for
survivable disasters and working toward global
disarmament.
“The planning system is so disbelieved and
joked about that it is kind of kept secret.” Gleason
said. "Every time FEMA tried to bring it up,
they've just about got beaten to a pulp.”
The current FEMA plan calls for the 200,000
Eugene-Springfield residents to scatter to Coos
Bay. Cottage Grove and Roseburg. They would
not be able to use Interstate 5 because it is
designated as the evacuation route for
Portlanders. Even if the alternative routes to those
cites are open and citizens evacuate in an orderly
fashion, Gleason said, there is mass transporta
tion available to move only 600 of the people who
don’t have their own transportation.
Gleason estimates that nuclear missiles will
destroy every city with a population of 20,000 or
more. He said that even if some people escape to
rural areas, there is no preparation for their food,
sanitation or medical needs. Gleason said that
anyone surviving the initial attack would starve
as food distribution routes are destroyed and
“nuclear winter” set in. According to a recent
theory, a major nuclear attack would have severe
effects on climate, causing temperatures to drop
for several months.
Impractical as it seems, Gleason said that
FEMA has spent years and a great deal of money
creating a plan that merely allows Americans to
ignore the problems of possible nuclear war.
“One of the fantasies we cling to in this
culture is that there’s some way that when the
buttons go down — one, ‘I live in an area that
isn’t going to be targeted’— that’s wrong — or,
two, ‘I’m going to be able to go somewhere, hide
somewhere, if I have enough doors and shovels.’
It’s a fantasy. Total, simple fantasy,” Gleason
said.
By planning fora nuclear disaster, FEMA has
left itself “intellectually bankrupt,” Gleason
said. Because of this, FEMA is neglecting plans
for lesser disasters, he said.
"We are doing a very bad job of planning for
the things where we can save lives because we
have not debased the idea that we can respond to
a nuclear exchange.”
Gleason said that instead of making what he
sees as impossible plans for surviving a nuclear
war, Americans should work toward arms reduc
tions and a total liquidation of all nuclear
weapons. ^
“I was heartened by Reagan’s comment
when he said ’the only solution is no nuclear
weapons, not less.’ ”
minutes
The Incidental Fee Commit
tee allocated more than
$113,000 at' Monday’s budget
hearing session, while voting to
reconsider ‘ a previously
’ budgeted aUocation'of $7.5,392.
The Recreation and ■ In-,
tramurals program receiv.ed
$57,099 with a 'unanimous IFC
vote, while the Oregon State
Public Interest Research Group'
received $42,775 after some
discussion, on \yhether or not
the .group "must .first be passed
by students on the spring ballot
to receive funds.
The ASU0 Constitution
■ stipulates* that OSPIRG must go
on the ballot, every two years.
• OSPIRG last went* before'the.
voters' in 1983. OSPIRG is
awaiting'an advisory^ decision
from the. Constitution. Court,
which will state, if the group is
required to go on. the ballot to
receive funds or if the referen- .
dum is merely a way to show
student support of OSPIRG.
' The iFC approved $12,296 to
the .Student Bar Association,
with $500 placed on reserve for
possible future travel expenses..
The Minority Law. Students
Association received $1,587,'
nearly three times.the amount
the group received for the
1984-85 academic year.. The
primary increase of $600 is. a
new line item for a director’s
• salary.
' At the same meeting, the IFC
voted 4-1-1 to reconsider the
ASUO Executive’s budget,
which had unanimously.passed
at its March 6 hearing. Specific
items to be recalled include the
Executive’s payroll an’d funds
for the Women’s. Symposium
and continuing the South
African divestiture lawsuit.
Five dance, • music and
theater-oriented groups receiv
ed new budgets at. Tuesday’s
IFC hearings.
Allocations included: $842 to
the University Song and Dance
Troupe; $18,721 to the Univer
sity Theatre; $4,111 to the
Repertory Dancers; $6,000 to.
the Committee for Musical Arts;
and $768 to the University
Players.
The IFC voted against fun
ding the Asian Students
Association^ 1985-86 budget at
Wednesday's hearing.'A majori-.
ty of the committee members
believed .that other student
organizations already adequate
ly covered the Asian “group’s
area of activities., • ‘ £ •.
Committee .member Lori
Ljeberman said, that ASA need
ed to show- how the group
benefited « students biefdfe it
could receive funds. The'group
received $207 last year.
• Also at Wednesday’s hearing,
■ the IFC allocated $2,158 to’the
Muslim' Student Associatftm.
This.reflects an increase of $773
over last year’s allocation, 6tlt is ^
$2,604 less than MSA re- ^
. quested. People and the Oregon
Coast was given $689, and
Recreational Folkdance receiv
ed $2,449.
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