Board considers King-Boise pian
PORTLAND
OBSERl/ER
Volume » No. J
Thursday, January 5, 1978
10c per copy
Inside
Program Aids Victim»
Page 3
Resolutions (or Smoker
Page 3
Musical Honors King
Page 4
Miracle Relived
Page 6
The Portland School Board la to con
sider the Boise/King redistricting plan at
its Monday night meeting. The plan,
would transfer incoming Freshman stu
dents from portions of the King and
Boise elementary attendance areas from
Jefferson High School to Lincoln and
Wilson High Schools.
The School Board's decision on the
proposal, part of the Newman Plan
presented to the Board by Board member
Jonathan Newman in June, was post
poned because of widespread community
opposition. The proposal was intended to
lower the percentage of minority stu
dents at Jefferson, which at that time
was above fifty percent, mostly Black.
Following opposition by many indi
viduals and community organizations in
cluding the NAACP, the Urban League,
the Albina Ministerial Alliance, the Com
mittee for Quality Education for All
Children, and Schools for the City.
Superintendent Blanchard recommended
that the decision he postponed until
outside their own attendance area only if
January and that community representa
it does not adversely affect racial balance
tives offer a more acceptable solution.
The Coalition advised the school dis
To this end the Community Coalition
trict that there would not he a problem of
for School Integration was formed. On
racial isolation at Jefferson if the district
December 15th. the Coalition advised the
would do the following:
Board of Education that if the district's
Strictly enforce the present attendance
attendance policies were enforced, there
area boundaries and limit the number of
would be no problem of "racial isolation" genuinely qualified students attending
(over 50 percent minority) at Jefferson.
Benson and Monroe, with selection of
If during the 1975-1977 school year, all those students made on a non discrimina
of the students who had graduated from
tory manner.
Jefferson feeder schools had attended
Strongly support the Jefferson magnet
Jefferson, the school would have been
pregram», broaden and improve them,
27.78 percent minority.
publicize and make them available to all
The district's statistics also show that students.
although Jeffersdn is the tenth largest
Provide a first rate faculty and curricu
high school, it sends far more students to lum at Jefferson for the general program
Benson than any other school - which
in order to attract and retain neighbor
drains Jefferson of many of its white
hood and transfer students, Black and
students.
Also, sixty Jefferson area white.
students attended Roosevelt, which is
The School Board meeting will be held
contrary to current district policy that on January 9th, at 7:30 p.m., at the Board
allows students to attend high aetkmia Room, 631 N.E. Clackamas.
Oregon workers over 40 find employment discrimination
Coinciding with the tenth anniversary
of the passage of the Age Discrimination
in Employment Act of 1967, an updated
edition of Up Against The Middle-Age
Barrier, a 1971 report on the employment
problems facing Oregon workers aged 45
to 65 has just been released by Labor
Commissioner Bill Stevenson.
“According to the study, 40 percent of
the Middled aged Oregonians who en
countered more than the usual difficulties
in their job search felt their troubles
were caused by the mere fact of their
chronological and not by any age-related
condition.
Forty-five percent of the questioned
personnel managers believed that per
sons in the 45-65 age group whether
looking for “just a job” or aiming at the
"right job" faced greater handicaps than
younger applicants.
Another important finding indicates
that even the person with specialized
skills and training often encounter the
middle-age barrier when competing with
equally equipped but younger workers.
Speaking of the psychological effects of
age discrimination upon the older job
seeker, the study points to "the para
lyzing impact of defeatism upon the
middle-aged.”
The rejected become
dejected and they begin acting out the
stereotyped role of an "older person.”
These actions maintain and fortify the
Middle-Age Barrier. “Thus a dismal cycle
of self perpetuating social injustice and
waste of valuable human resources is
created.”
The report recommends that existing
(Please turn to Page 6 Column 5)
Public to review City of Portland’s proposed Housing Policy
The City of Portland is considering
adoption of a Housing Policy - a program
for public and private action.
Once
passed by the Council, the policy is to
become a framework to which all other
programs related to housing will con
form.
Among the programs that the Housing
Policy will effect are the Housing and
Community Development Grants, the
Housing Assistance Plan, and the Urban
Development Grant Program.
Funds
available for new implementation will
total $3,552.000.
Home ownership and population com
position have shifted in recent years. In
1976. 52 percent of the homes in Portland
were ow ner occupied. In 1950,57 percent
were owner occupied. The cost of hous
ing has made purchase by low income and
middle income families difficult. A home
that cost $18,000 in 1955, would have cost
$55,000 in 1977. The average sale price in
August of 1977 was $43,450.
Healing, utility and maintenance costs
have increased from 70 percent to 100
percent over the past few years, causing
increased housing deterioration.
During the past fifteen years the
population of Portland has changed little,
but the population of the elderly and
young adults has increased. The 30-44
age group has diminished, with many-
young families moving to the suburbs.
Households with children under 18
years have decreased by five percent,
while single person households have
increased twelve percent.
Tacked onto the end of the policy, as
Policy #6, is Fair Housing. This item was
overlooked, but was added when the
oversight was noticed by the Metropoli
tan Human Relations Commission.
The objectives of the Fair Housing
policy are:
• To provide equal access to housing
for all people regardless of race, age, sex,
color, religion, national origin, or mental
or physical handicap.
• To document violations of State and
Federal civil rights laws related to
housing in such matters as refusal to sell,
lease, or rent; evicting a current or
potential tenant, lessee, or buyer from
housing: discrimination in the price of the
property or in any other terms, privileges
or services relating to the sale or use of
housing; attempting to discourage sale or
rental; or advertising in a way which
indicates the landlord or seller prefers
persons of a particular race, color, sex,
age, religion, national origin, or without
physical or mental handicaps.
• To educate the public regarding
their rights to fair housing and the
grievance procedures available to them in
case of violations.
• To encourage racial and economic
mix to the extent possible in public-
assisted housing.
No budget is assigned to this function.
Hearings on the Housing Policy will be
held on January 11th, 7:30 p.m., at the
Water Services Building, 510 S.W. Mont
gomery; January 31st, St. Francis Audi
torium, 330 S.E. 11th; February 1st, 510
S.W. Montgomery. Call 248-4519 for
Housing Policy workshops scheduled for
January 10th, 17th, and 25th.
MHRC presents Peyton award
The Metropolitan Human Relations
Commission will present the fifth annual
Ruaaell Peyton Award to Mrs. Marie
Smith on January 14th. The presentation
will lie made at a dinner, to be held at
noon at Westminster Presbyterian
Church.
The MHRC makes the award each year
to the person selected as having eontri
buted to human relations in the metropo
litan area.
Previous recipients are:
Thomas Sloan. John Mills, E. Shelton Hill
and A. I-ee Henderson.
Mayor Neil Goldschmidt will be the
keynote speaker for the award luncheon
and representatives of the City of Port
land and Multnomah County, which joint
ly sponsor the MHRC. will be present.
The public is cordially invited to
attend. Coal of the luncheon is $3. (Ml and
reservations should be made by calling
248 4187.
Mrs. Marie Smith, recipient of the 1977
award, is well known in the Stale of
Oregon for her advocacy for civil rights
and for the elderly. Mrs. Smith is a
past president of the NAACP, Portland
Branch, and was instrumental in the
formation of the Northwest Area Confer
ence of Branches. A dedicated NAACP
member, she has also served as a board
member of the NAACP Federal Credit
Union.
Mrs. Smith was a member of the Model
Cities Task Force that organized the
Senior Adult Service Center, considered
to be one of the Model Cities Program's
most successful projects and a model for
senior service cen ters established
throughout Multnomah County. She also
served as Chairman of the Board of
Directors.
Mrs. Smith is also known for her work
with women's service organizations, hav
ing been a state organizer and President
of the Oregon Association of Colored
Women's Clubs. She is also active in
church and church related organizations.
PROPOSED HOUSING POLICY FOR PORTLAND
POLICY *1 EXISTING HOUSING: MAINTENANCE
POLICY *4 NEW HOUSING
The City will encourage and assist the continuing maintenance of existing residential proper
ties, both single- and multi-family This maintenance will be accomplished through a
voluntary housing maintenance code program to include marketing, inspection and financial
assistance, aimed primarily at safety, sanitation, structural integrity, and energy conservation
The City shall assist the pnvate sector in maintaining an adequate supply of single- and
multi-family housing units This shall be accomplished by relying primarily on the home
building industry and private sector solutions
POLICY * 5 LOWER INCOME ASSISTED HOUSING
POLICY *2 EXISTING HOUSING: MAJOR REHABILITATION
Assistance for rehabilitation of housing beyond housing maintenance code requirements will
be provided (1) If the assistance is supportive of general community development activity
(2) on a voluntary basis, and (3) if policies »1 and »4 are being fulfilled
T J * City will support and assist in planning for subsidized housing opportunities which are
n t?
r
* hiCh Cann° * com Pe,e ln the market for housing In addition it is
City policy that public housing be divided between elderly and non-elderly families propor
donate to their representation in the City's total need for low income housing Public hou^riq
a ^ h k S i s t ^
66 Sma" n° m° re i r 30 Unte' loca,ed
- a V e d :„e:u^
snould achieve as oroad an income mix as possible among tenants
POLICY *3 HOME OWNERSHIP: FAMILIES
POLICY *6 FAIR HOUSING
The City shall encourage and support home ownership with emphasis on maintaining a
housing supply for homeowner families with children to the greatest extent possible while
providing appropriate housing situations for smaller household renters
The City shall assist and encourage programs intended to provide equal access to housing
for all people regardless of race, age, sex, color, religion, national origin, or mental or
physical handicap '
In fo r m a tio n R e g a rd in g T h ia P ro p o s a l
I PoHcv. w r i i i H U t c«
N a S e ll—t Fotte? D*w«i
CeelOT a f U w
D ia h a
Daah. S a c a a S B a a i. C M * H a ll I
I Socttoo. 420 BolUtt», R o o . 610
I P oK laad caa k . a b l a u t h a w d w lafo n aa M o a
Time running out for nuclear waste solution
by Steven Schneider
P N 8 - The unsolved problem of how to
dispose of deadly radioactive waste now
threatens the future of nuclear power in
the U .8.
The Department of Energy has warned
that if action is not taken toon, the lack of
storage space for nuclear waste might
force the closing of 23 U.S. atomic power
plants, starting in 1979.
And the White House Council on
Environmental Quality recently recom
mended that the use of nuclear power not
he expanded unless a solution to the
waste problem is found soon.
More than 3.000 tons of radioactive
waste are now stored in temporary
facilities, some of which already have
sprung leaks.
"The immediate problem," said one
industry official, “Is that the utilities are
running out of spare."
During the next decade, U.S. nuclear
planta are expected to generate nearly
20,000 more tons of radioactive waste.
And President Carter recently proposed
that the government store both this and
spent nuclear fuel from foreign countries
as well.
Industry spokesmen, while praising
the Carter proposal, agreed it was only
an interim solution at best.
“It is no more than a short term
answer,” said Carl Waske, president of
the Atomic Industrial Forum, “a way to
avert a possible shortage of fuel storage
capacity."
Environmentalists were not at all
pleased with the President's plan.
"The public should not be misled into
believing this policy will usher in new
solutions." warned Richard Pollack, di
rector of Critical Maas, the Ralph Nader
anti nuclear organization. "The govern
ment is in as much of a quandary about
what to do with the waste material as it
was two decades ago."
Until last year, much of the utilities'
radioactive waste was shipped to a
reprocessing plant in West Valley, New
York, where some of it was reconverted
back into nuclear fuel and the rest into
high-level nuclear waste, ultimately to be
disposed of by the federal government.
But in September 1976, Nuclear Fuel
Services, a subsidiary of Ghetty Oil,
abandoned the nation's only commercial
reprocessing plant on the grounds that it
wasn't commercially feasible.
Then last spring, President Carter
announced that commercial reprocessing
of spent nuclear fuel would be postponed
indefinitely because of the increased risk
of nuclear weapons proliferation that it
poses.
Since then, the utilities have been
requesting an expansion in the size of
their temporary storage pools, but fed
era! officials concede that expansion of
those facilities ia not a long term solution
for the storage of radioactive material -
some of which must be safeguarded for as
long as 250,000 years.
Gordon Corey, vice-chairman of Com
monwealth Edison, said several months
ago that nuclear power would become
uneconomical if utilities had to »tore their
spent fuel permanently.
This means that the federal govern
ment must establish either a central
storage facility or a permanent disposal
Meanwhile, the wastes continue to eat
away at the walls of storage tanks, and
radioactivity is beginning to be detected
in the earth, in streams and in the ocean.
Some 18 different leaks accounting for
the escape of 429,000 gallons of nuclear
waste into the earth have been reported
over the past twenty years at a military
disposal facility at Hanford, Washington.
These leaks, along with radioactive
waste intentionally dumped in the area,
have left the land "so badly contami
nated,” according to a Ford Foundation
report, “that it may never be cleaned up.”
At Oak Ridge, Tennesee, nuclear
burial trenches have intercepted the
water table, and a creek feeding into the
Clinch River has been found to exceed the
maximum permissible concentration of
radioactive material.
The Maxcey Flats disposal site near
Moorhead, Kentucky, also has been leak
ing radioactive material, but at levels
that do not yet pose a health hazard,
according to Kentucky officials.
I4ist summer, radioactive cesium was
discovered in
fish purchased in a
Berkeley, California, market. Although
there is no conclusive proof, some expert s
suspect the fish may have been caught
near the Farallon Islands, 50 miles off the
California coast, where thousands of steel
drums containing radioactive wastes
were dumped 20 years ago and where
cesium and plutonium have recently been
detected in the water.
site. 1 he problem is that no one seems to
know how to store these highly toxic
wastes.
The real question is what do you do
with the wastes that are there," said
James Griffin of the Department of
Industry spokesmen, environmental
ista and federal officials all agree that
waste disposal is the major problem now
faring the nuclear industry, but disagree
on how critical it ia.
The moat immediate problem la in
Energy. “Everyone's pondering that."
Springing Leaks
California where state law prohibits the
licensing of additional nuclear power
plants until the federal government
adopts a waste disposal plan acceptable
to the California legislature.
Federal officials maintain that plant
closings can be avoided and reliance upon
nuclear power can continue to increase,
but environmentalists disagree.
'To say that we're going to solve the
waste problem is a hoax," contends
Jeffrey Knight, Washington lobbyist for
Friends of the Earth. “Pretty soon it will
be time to call in the chips on the nuclear
industry."
Randy Bernard, of San Francisco's
People Against Nuclear Power, predicts
at least two reactors will be closed down
this year.
Nuclear industry official Scott Peters
disagrees.
“While time is getting short for some
reactors," he said, “there is no immediate
danger of a shutdown.” He conceded
that some shutdowns might occur in the
early 1980s but “only if nothing ia done."
Industry believes that policy making
decisions rather than technical break
throughs are needed to solve the radio
active waste problem.
Meanwhile, the federal government -
which is committed to putting a perma
nent commercial waste repository into
operation by 1985 - is having difficulty
finding a location for it.
"Nobody has accepted waste facilities
thus far," a nuclear opponent noted.
“Connecticut ia glad to have lota of
reactors, but its citizens refuse to have
any wastes stored there."
The same has been true elsewhere.
Vermont and I Louisiana passed legislation
earlier this year that would make it
extremely difficult to establish nuclear
waste facilities there.
statutes is open to question, the federal
And legislatures in South Dakota and government is not looking for a show
New Mexico have passed resolutions that down on the issue.
also would bar or limit the federal
“We’re trying to enlist the cooperation
government’s nuclear waste disposal of local people,” says Energy Department
plans.
spokesman James Griffin.
Last May, in response to public opposi
The nuclear industry maintains that
tion, Michigan Governor William Milliken the best way of winning public support is
told federal energy officials that he to get a waste storage program into
wanted his state removed from consi operation.
“The only way we will
deration as a waste disposal site.
convince people is by doing a pilot
project,” said Scott Peters of the Atomic
In September, Illinois Attorney Gen Industrial Forum.
eral William Scott told a House subcom
All that is needed is a state that will
mittee that “Illinois will not passively accept the project, and a way to ensure
allow itself to become the nation's dump
that radioactive substances do not leak
ing ground for high-level nuclear waste." back into the environment for the next
As states are approached as possible 250,000 years.
locations for waste disposal sites, public
| Steven Schneider monitors energy
opposition rises. And while the constitu
,<olicy for the Ford Foundation-funded
tionality of some of the anti-nuclear waste Third Century America Project.!
NRC considers Trojan request
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commis
sion's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
began hearings Wednesday on Portland
General Electric’s request for permission
to store more spent fuel at the Trojan
site.
PGE has applied for the amendment to
their operating license because there is
no place in the United States to store
radioactive waste products from private
ly owned nuclear reactors. PGE wants to
double its waste storage capacity before
the first spent fuel cells are removed in
March of 1978.
The hearings are being held daily at
the U.S. Court House and co.uld last for
more than two weeks.
Three opponents of the PGE request
are allowed to call expert witnesses and
cross-examine PGE witnesses during the
hearing Susan Garrett of the Coalition
for Safe Power; Sharon McKeel and
David McCoy. Approximately fifty per
sons requested to give testimony. The
State's Oregon Department of Energy
and the Energy Facility Siting Council
are also represented.
Prior to the hearing, Lloyd Marbet of
Forelaws on Board, called the five
minute limit imposed on speakers from
the public "an attempt to severely limit
public participation." Peter Bergel told a
press conference, "While I understand
the need for the NRC to proceed with
deliberate speed, it is Oregonians who
will have to live with the decision for ten,
twenty, or more years."
I