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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1985)
Federal lobbyist says nation should clean up toxic waste By Linda Halm Of <IM IMnU Prospects for getting what they wanted didn’t look good. They had already suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Energy and Commerce Committee. They were out numbered — eight environmental lobbyists to 122 industrial lobbyists, and the Public Works and Transportation Committee did not have strong environmental convictions. So, Reid Wilson, lobbyist for Oregon State Public Interest Group decided to change lobby ing strategies. Instead of employing the tradi tional lobbying tactics. Wilson asked the folks at home to writo their representatives in sup port of a strong Superfund reauthorization bill. “In and behold, it worked," Wilson told an audience of about 30 people in the EMU Dads' Room on Monday afternoon. "Public Works has done a good job." His lecture, "Superfund: Will Congress Clean Up America," was sponsored by OSPIRG. The committee passed a bill that contain ed six of the seven points Wilson was pushing for in Superfund legislation. “Grassroots lob bying is the key to success.” he said. But the battle is far from over. While the Public Works and Transportation Committee passed a strong bill, the Energy and Commerce Committee passed a weak one. Wilson said. One of the two bills, or a compromise bill to fund toxic waste cleanup, is scheduled to roach the floor of the House the week of Nov. 4. Wilson is traveling throughout Oregon to garner the same grassroots support for an effec tive Superfund. Superfund was established by Congress in 1980 to handle toxic waste emegencies and to clean up toxic waste dump sites, Funding for the project expired Sept. 30. Because renewal is floundering, the Environmental Protection Agency has slowod cleanup at 57 sites and laid off staff. Wilson said. He expects to seo final legislation for funding sometime between Christmas and spring. An effective final product is more impor tant to Wilson than a quick passage of a weaker version. OSPIRC has identified seven points that Wilson pushes during Superfund debates, which include increased funds and stronger commitments to cleaning up toxic waste dumps. Wilson attributes ineffective management and Insufficient funding to the EPA’s poor cleanup record. In the last five years, only six sites of 812 on the EPA’S National Priorities List have been cleaned. Too much of the $1.6 billion Superfund budget was dedicated to litigation and ad ministrative costs, Wilson said. To avoid “fall ing flat on its face again,” Wilson wants new legislation to require the EPA to begin clean up of 150 new sites per year. “If they're required to spend that much money on clean-up. they can't spend it on anything else, right?" he asked. Expired Superfund legislation has no such requirements. Wilson suspects that three of the six cleaned-up sites ore not actually clean because of inadequate final testing standards. When a site is considered clean, the EPA subjects the area to 25 chemical tests that measure the presence and the levels of toxicity. OSPIRC advocates an additional 100 tests. More money is needed because of the enormity of the toxic waste problem. Wilson said. “Twelve million people live within three miles of toxic waste dumps.” he said. They are drinking contaminated water and are being exposed to toxic, carcinogenic chemicals, he added. While the EPA has estimated there are 2,000 toxic waste dumps in the country, the General Accounting Office has set the number at 400,000. “There are clearly more than we need," regardless of whose figures are used, Wilson said. THE EUGENE’S 9th ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BALL ROBERT CRAYe BAND Irt£ PAUL DELAY BAND * s>< » 5 tH£ PASTY KINGS ' OCT. 31,1985 EUGENE HILTON SPOOKY SPECIALS FOR BEST COSTUME 6 96-ADVANCE EVERYBODY S RECORDS * 21 & OVER I D. REQUIRED PHODUCloet pOUBl.1 TEE ' kj£th<‘ Page 4A Are you considering professional school? HARVARD UNIVERSITY JOHN F. KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT It Looking for Futon Leader* hr Public Affair*. Come Leant About Harvard'* Two-Year Matter’* Program hr Public Policy, Leading to either the Matter in Public Policy or City and Regional Planning Degne. meet wrrH: DEAN CALVIN MOSLEY date: Friday, Nov. 1, 10-11, 11-12 groups contact: CAREER PLACEMENT OFFICE All Student*, All Major*, All Year* Welcome! joint Degne Program* Offend with Harvard’* other Profetaional School*. Generou* Cro**-Regi*tration Privilege* with other School*. Commentator signs 1985-86 contract By Mary IJchtenwalner or tlw KawraM The ASUO Executive and the Oregon Commentator shook hands over a new contract on Oct. 18. settling disagreement over last year's contract that led to the ASUO's attempt to freeze the paper’s funds. The ASUO said a contract negotiated between last year’s editor Bob Davis and former ASUO President fulie Davis does not apply to Pinckney's administration. The contract outlined a budget agreement for the 1985-86 fiscal year. After threatening to freeze the Commentator’s incidental fen funds, the ASUO presented another contract to the Coni mentator. Editor Tom Mann said he is pleased with the new contract's similarity to the original contract. “The contract she offered us was exactly the same as the one we signed last year," he said. The Commentator had accus ed the ASUO of discrimination when the executive tried to single out the publication by asking it to adhere to affirmative action guidelines. Mann said. The guidelines were included in an addition of stipulations to the contract. Such stipulations, however, are not required of other groups that have signed contracts with the ASUO. “We disagree with that in principle. We don't hire, but if we did, we'd be an equal oppor tunity employer,” Mann said. The Commentator's editor posi tion is a non-paid, volunteer position. The contract stain* that an ASUO representative must bn on thn publication's editor selection committee this spring. ASUO President Lynn Pinckney said that requirement was not clear in Iasi year’s contract. Liability insurance also is listed, protecting the KMU. ASUO and the University from any legal problems should the Commentator be sued. The con tract also states that a disclaimer must be printed in every issue. "The constitution basically reflects, as best as we could, the feeling of last year’s I PC." Pin ckney said. Pinckney said she denies anv feelings of .uilmosity toward thn publication, although historically the ASUO's feelings toward the Commentator have been negative. *Td say our relations are bet ter than they've ever been." she said. "It was morn suspicion than reality — we never had a real desire to cut the Commen tator's funding." Former finance professor dies dining vacation trip Former University Finance Professor Don Watson died Oct. 21 in Reno. Nev.. following a heart attack during a vacation trip. Watson. 64, was stricken while enroute back from a vaca tion trip to Iowa with his wife. He died following heart bypass surgery. Watson taught various business and finance courses at the University and was a former director of the University Bureau of Business and Economic Research. He was a notable authority on Oregon’s economy and publish ed many articles about different aspects of the state's finances He also had been widely quoted on the dnngers of population growth -..d being too reliant U;«on technology as the solution to all economic and social pmbler^s. Watson, who taught at the University from 1956 to 1963, was selected by the College of Business Administration in 1983 as outstanding teacher in the undergraduate program. He also received the Harry R Jacobs Jr. Distinguished Teaching Award in 1983. Prior to coming to Oregon. Watson taught at the University of Iowa, Iowa City; Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Mon tana State University. Missoula. Watson got his bacholor's and master’s degrees from the University of Iowa and received his doctor of philosophy degree from Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. ir UO ATHLETICS tV Tuesday, October 29, 1985
