__ Oregon Daily_ ,
Emerald
Friday, October 21, 1988
Eugene. Oregon
Volume 90, Number 38
__Inside_
• The Duck football lowdown,
Page IS
• ‘Gorillas’ on campus, Page 3
• U2’s Rattle and Hum, Page 10
• Something ‘Fresh’, Page 7
Agency investigating animal research program
By Michael Drummond
Emerald Associate Editor
The University’s animal research program re
mains the subject of a federal investigative in
quiry nearly three months after a National Insti
tutes of Health site inspection gave the program a
clean bill of health.
Officials with the Office for Protection from
Research Risks (OPRR) acknowledged Wednes
day they are conducting an inquiry of the Univer
sity's animal care and use procedures for possible
federal Animal Welfare Act and Public Health
Service (PHS) violations.
The OPRR is a policy-enforcing arm of the
National Institutes of Health (N1H).
Dr. Alan Sandler of the OPRR said Thursday
his office received a formal complaint from Peo
ple for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
1
John Moseley
about six weeks ago detailing alleged federal
policy violations. However, Sandler refused to
elaborate.
"From our office’s standpoint, we have what
we consider to be an active inquiry in response to
PETA's formal allegations." Sandler said.
"The matter that we do have under consider
ation is between us and PETA ... that’s not really
subject to discussion at this time," Sandler add
ed.
However. Ingrid Newkirk, national director
for PETA, listed allegations within the formal
complaint Thursday.
PETA claims the University lacks a proper
animal research review process, despite the pres
ence of an Institutional Animal Care and Use
Committee (1ACUC), fails to provide proper veter
inary care, and staffs improperly trained animal
researchers.
PETA also maintains that the University’s
IACUC approves illegal animal experiments, that
many University animal research projects lack
scientific and medicinal applicability, and overall
the University is not in compliance with its assur
ance.
An assurance is akin to a contract by which a
research institution must abide. The PHS awards
federal funding for animal research based on an
institution's compliance to its assurance.
“We will have to decide whether there is
substance to those allegations, and if so we will
investigate them,” Sandler said. He could not in
dicate when the GPRR would announce its con
clusions because he said his staff is waiting for
additional material from PETA.
Sandler said it would be “hard to gauge what
kind of investigation QPRR might make," but
added that it would be different from the N1H site
inspection conducted June 29 (See related story,
this page).
"I would always view such an inquiry seri
ously," said ]ohn Moseley, University vice presi
dent for research.
"1 certainly cannot say any mistakes were
never made, but I would be surprised if they
(QPRR) conducted a formal investigation,” he
Turn to Investigation, Page 5
Moseley's letter predates
NIH facilities inspection
By Michael Drummond
Emerald Associate Editor
A University administrator’s
letter to Sen. Mark Hatfield,
which predates a National In
stitutes of Health site inspec
tion of the school’s animal re
search facilities has animal
rights activists calling foul and
administrators on the defense.
John Moseley, University
vice president for research,
penned a letter to Hatfield June
2, 1988 — 27 days before a Na
tional Institutes of Health (NIHJ
inspection team conducted an
administrative site visit of the
University's animal care and
use program.
In the letter, Moseley said he
had discussed the controversy
surrounding the University’s
animal research program with
representatives from the NIH
and the Office for Protection
from Research Risks (OPRR).
Moseley stated, "{The repre
sentatives) have concluded that
there are no substantive reasons
to conduct further investiga
tions of animal care and use
here, but have stated that they
might be forced to conduct a
formal investigation for politi
cal reasons.
"Obviously, we would like
to avoid such an investigation
due to the negative public rela
tions aspect, but we have no
concerns that significant nega
tive findings would occur.”
The NIH report issued Sept.
23 cited several administrative
problems with the University’s
animal research program, but
overall it concluded the school
earned a clean bill of health.
Animal rights activists claim
Moseley’s letter foreshadowed
the NIH’s conclusions and indi
cated the site inspection was a
public relations whitewash.
“They (University adminis
tration) need to stop worrying
about public relations and start
washing their hands," said In
grid Newkirk, national director
for People for the Ethical Treat
ment of Animals (PETA).
Moreover. Newkirk said the
site inspection did not deal
with PETA’s true concerns re
lating to proper veterinarian
care, research supervision and
staff competency at the Univer
sity.
“Where did they (NIH) look
for wrongdoing, that’s my
question. 1 think their findings
are inappropriate and their pri
orities are misplaced. It's clear
from reading the report it’s a
public relations attempt to re
duce the damage that the light
of public opinion is doing to
the University of Oregon’s cov
enant-like research communi
ty,” Newkirk said.
Moseley admitted the Uni
versity is concerned about the
Turn to Letter, Page 4
Volunteer's mistake
voids voter eligibility
By Don Peters
Emerald Associate Editor
Some of the 74 people who
registered to vote at the Univer
sity on Tuesday will not be al
lowed to cast ballots Nov. 8.
Phyllis Crockett, campus co
ordinator and president of Stu
dents for Dukakis, failed to re
turn voter registrations to the
bane County elections office
before the 5 p.m. Tuesday reg
istration deadline.
“1 didn’t know I had to get
them in then,” Crockett said.
Lane County Elections Man
ager David Spriggs said he
learned of the mixup from a
clerk. The clerk had received a
phone call Wednesday morning
from Crockett, saying she had
74 late registration cards.
CrocKett said she forgot the
deadline, and realized her mis
take too late. “I feel bad about
it,” she said. ‘Now I’m just try
ing to make up for it.”
Crockett has written a letter
to the Oregon Daily Emerald,
apologizing to those who regis
tered.
The exact number of people
unable to vote is not known. If
a person was already registered
to vote, but was re-registering
because of a change of address,
arrangements will be made al
lowing them to vote, Spriggs
said.
“But they will have to bring
in proof of their move,” he
said.
Kate Mente, field organizer
for Campaign '88 Dukakis
Bentsen, said, "We’re apolo
getic about this. Phyllis (Crock
ett) feels very bad, but she’s do
ing everything she can to fix
it.”
According to Spriggs, this
situation is neither new nor
unique. “It’s happened be
fore,” he said. “Just last March
we had 84 (registration forms)
turned in late.”
Spriggs went on to say that
county election workers will
sort through the 74 late forms
and see just which ones will be
allowed to vote. “But it's going
to take a while,” he said.
I BICYCLE
■ PARKING
I, uftnuitmcn
The Young and the Rested
The leaves are falling and winter is right around the corner, but for sophomore
Robin Milner and senior David Plews, spring seems to be a state of mind.
Photo by James Marks