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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 30, 1982)
Portland Observer, June 30, 1962 Page 5 Washington Hot Line • • a a a a a a by Congressman R on Wyden Q The issue o f how to dispose o f nuclear waste has been debated f o r years. W hy is the d eb ate ta k in g so long, and what can be done to move us closer to a resolution? A . T h e m a jo r reason the nuclear waste debate has dragged on fo r so m an y years is because no one has been w illing to m ake the tough deci sions necessary to resolve the issue. H e a rin g a ft e r h e a rin g has been held to look ut the pros and cons o f this a lte rn a tiv e o r that a lte rn a tiv e . E xpert a fte r expert has o ffe re d his or her o pinion on the issue. Hut de spite a ll this ad vice and c o n s u lta tio n , C o n g ress has c o n tin u e d to drag its feet on development o f a ra tio n a l s o lu tio n — o r a re a s o n a b le tim etable fo r arriving at such a solu tion. A n d in the m e a n tim e , large v o l- umes o f nuclear waste have been sit tin g in te m p o ra ry sto ra g e b in s, threatening the health and safety o f Oregonians and other Americans. I ’ m certainly not advocating that we rush to em brace ju s t any waste d isp o sal p la n . N u c le a r waste lasts forever— and the result o f im proper storage could be serious health haz ards, or even death. But I am suggesting that we could m ove fo rw a rd m o re e x p e d itio u s ly than we have, p a rtic u la rly w ith re gards to establishing a tim etable for identification o f the proper site. T hat is why I ’m backing a bill be ing considered by the E nergy, C o n servation, and Power Subcommittee o f the Energy and Com m erce C om - m io tte e . T h is b il l, in tro d u c e d by R ep. D ic k O ttin g e r o f N e w Y o r k , establishes a reasonable tim e ta b le fo r selection o f a site. A t the same tim e, it provides strict guidelines for protection o f human beings, w ild life and the environm ent in selection o f the site. A n d to ensure that the site select ed is the single best site, I am also backing an am endm ent to th a t b ill th a t w o u ld set up an in d e p e n d e n t c o m m is s io n to stu d y a ll p ossib le sites. I b e lie v e this c o m m is s io n , o r something like it, is critical i f we are to preclude the very real possibility that the D epartm ent o f Energy w ill sim ply n om in ate certain , predeter m in e d areas as d is p o s a l sites, w ith o u t re a lly in v e s tig a tin g a ll o f the possibilities and considering all the facts. This issue is o f particular im p o rt ance to O regonians and other resi- dents o f the P a c ific N o rth w e s t be cause one o f the sites th e D e p a r t m ent o f E n e rg y has its eye o n is H a n fo rd in southeastern W ash in g ton. Establishment o f this commission w ill not ensure th a t H a n f o r d — o r any other site in O rego n , W ashing ton or adjacent states— w ill n o t be chosen as a p e rm a n e n t w aste d is posal site. B ut is should ensure th a t w h a t ever site is chosen is the best possible site, not just a favorite o f W ashing ton bureaucrats. A n d by en s u rin g fa irn e s s an d c r e d ib ility in the s e le c tio n o f the sites, it w ill m inim ize the risk o f law suits o r state vetoes th a t o n ly w ill delay farther identification o f a per manent— and safe— disposal site. Drug impact on blacks greater by D r. Benv J. P rim m ( E d it o r 's n o te : D r . P r im m , a leading expert on drug abuse, is the fo u n d e r-d ire c to r o f the B ro o k ly n , N e w Y o rk -b a s e d A d d ic tio n R e search an d T re a tm e n t C o rp o ra tio n th a t has six sa te llite centers in N e w Y o rk C ity . A n a d v is o r on d ru g abuse and treatm ent to the A dm in is tra tio n s o f Presidents N ix o n , F o rd a n d C a rte r, D r. P rim m was a c o n trib u to r to the recently published re p o r t on drug abuse an d alcoholism p r e p a r e d by f o r m e r H E W S e c re tary, Joseph C alifan o , f o r G overnor H u g h Carey o f N e w York). Several days ago, Joseph A . C a li fa n o , J r ., fo rm e r S e c re ta ry o f H E W , d e liv e re d to G o v . H u g h Carey o f New Y ork the results o f an 18-m onth study on drug abuse and alcoholism . O rig in a lly intending to focus on N ew Y o r k , M r . C a lifa n o extended the rep o rt to include lim ited d a ta and o bservatio n s outside New Y o rk . The Report makes a good case for m o re resources an d e n lig h te n e d public policy regarding prevention, treatm en t and e n fo rc e m e n t. Y e t, it is som ew hat fla w e d by the lim ite d and narrow manner in which certain d a ta are tre a te d , p a rtic u la rly d a ta related to black Americans. T h e beginning o f the rep o rt co n sists o f a g rap hic n a rra tiv e o f M r . C a lif a n o ’ s ex p e rie n c e s w ith th e Street Enforcem ent U nit o f the New Y ork C ity Police D epartm ent's N a r cotic D ivisio n. A fte r accom panying th e p o lic e on several d ru g busts, s h o o tin g g a lle ry an d sm o ke shop raids in H a rle m , M r . C a lifa n o asks him self, " H o w in the name o f G od did the richest nation in the history o f the w orld let any o f its people get h e re ? ” T h e an sw er to M r . C a li- fano's question is simple: Those in d iv id u a ls reach ed the p in n a c le o f d e s p a ir as a re s u lt o f th e lack o f awareness and outrig h t insensitivity to the social problem s o f m in o rity individuals. There is, in fact, a dis regard for the sanctity o f the lives o f a significant p ortio n o f our p o p u la tion. In his re p o rt M r . C a lif a n o d is closed that the number o f heroin a d d icts in N e w Y o r k C ity has in creased by 50 per cent since 1978. There is now one addict for every 40 to 43 residents in N ew Y o rk C ity , the nationw ide rate is one fo r every 375 to 500 A m e ric an s . T h is 50 per cent increase in heroin ad diction is not the tolling o f the death knell for New Y o rk C ity . Rather, it is the to ll ing o f th e d e a th k n e ll fo r N e w Y ork's black citizens. C ouched in the re p o rt, altho u g h never addressed directly, are the fo l lowing facts: • B lacks c o n s titu te th e highest p ro p o rtio n o f p a tie n ts e n ro lle d in New Y o rk C ity 's largest drug abuse treatment programs. • B lacks c o n s titu te th e highest proportion o f patients enrolled in all o f the tre a tm e n t p ro gram s in N ew Y o rk State. • B lacks c o n s titu te th e highest p ro p o rtio n o f p a tie n ts e n ro lle d in New Y o rk State funded m ethadone programs. • B lacks c o n s titu te th e highest proportion o f h e ro in /m orph ine em ergency room episodes nationwide. • B lacks c o n s titu te th e highest p ro p o rtio n o f overdose deaths n a tionw ide. • T h e highest p ro p o rtio n o f a ll overdose deaths in N ew Y o rk C ity were reported by the two m ajor hos pitals serving H arlem . It has been suggested th at in n er- city life w ith its p o v e rty and o v e r crowding, its unem ployment and ra cial discrim inatio n , its hopelessness and despair, predisposes individuals to the abuse o f drugs an d a lc o h o l. C e rta in ly the life stresses o f in n er- c ity residents are fa r g re a te r th an those e x p e rie n c e d by th e m id d le classes. Y e t, how do we explain the significant increase in the number o f m iddle class heroin users? The C a li fa n o R e p o rt a ttrib u te s th is rise to the easy availability o f heroin and a change in a ttitu d e s o f th e m id d le class. H e r o in fo r th e m no lo n g e r h old s the te r ro r th a t it once d id . There is also m ention o f the notion o f a perm issive A m e ric a n c u ltu re where society as a w hole uses both legal and illegal drugs promiscuous ly. These arguments are perhaps in teresting but they are by no means the m ost c o m p e llin g e x p la n a tio n s fo r eith er the escalation o f h eroin use am ong the m id d le class o r fo r the C ity as a whole. T he m a jo r issue neglected by the C a lifa n o R eport is a consideration o f the decline in the quality o f life in our C ity and throughout our coun try . W e have witnessed, in the past three years, increases in the rate o f unem ploym ent that our country has not kn ow n since the G re a t D epres sion. U n e m p lo y m e n t coupled w ith record b re a k in g interest rates, u n tamed in fla tio n , dim inished discre tio n a ry incom e, m a jo r cutbacks in social an d m e d ic a l p ro g ra m s , de- te rio ra te d tra n s p o rta tio n systems, im poverished e d u c a tio n a l in s titu tions, a reduction in basic services— all are stressors which never before have so deeply touched all segments o f our society. O v e r th e past fiv e y e a rs , th e re have been m any reports in the scien tific lite r a tu r e c itin g stress as th e com m on d e n o m in a to r fo r m any o f the serious illnesses th a t a re c o m mon in our inner-city areas. H y p e r tensive cardiovascular (high blood pressure) an d re n a l (k id n a y ) d is eases, mental illness, cirrhosis o f the liv e r, stom ach u lcers, a lc o h o lis m and dru g a d d ic tio n (o p ia te a d d ic tio n ) are o n ly a fe w o f those fr e quently m entioned. These diseases are th e m ost fre q u e n t causes o f death am ong in n e r-c ity blacks and H is p a n ic s . T h e b o d y 's n a tu ra l re sponses to any stress is to secrete en d o rp h in s (th e b o d y 's o w n m o r p h in e ) an d a d re n a lin . I t has been hypothesized th a t in d iv id u a ls w ho live under co nstant stress m ay de p lete th e ir stores o f th e chem icals n o r m a lly secreted in response to stress. A lc o h o l an d o p ia te s have been the drugs o f choice fo r m illen n ia in these in d iv id u a ls w h e n e v e r they were available. It is fo lly to assume th a t preven tion program s, therapeutic com m u n ities o r m e th a d o n e m a in te n a n c e co uld ever be a n y th in g m o re th a n band-aid treatm ent fo r the d eplo ra ble stre s sfu l c o n d itio n s u n d e r which we must live in this racist so ciety. U n til these conditions change, o ne m ust w o n d e r w h e th e r h e ro in and a lc o h o l use a re not m a n 's a t tem pt to th erap eu tically self-m ed i- cate. " g e o g ra p h ic a lly w id e s p re a d ." T he chemical is now found in water " n a t io n w id e ,” in fre s h fis h “ in the G reat Lakes and (he entire S o u th ,” and in shellfish in " th e entire G uld and East C o a s t r e g io n .” S evern 's m em o n oted th a t “ to x a p h e n e has been detected in w ater, air, and bio ta samples front around the g lo b e ." S evern a d vised th a t " g iv e n the n ature o f our concern about its a t mospheric dispersal throughout the environm ent, norm al risk reduction methods would not be e ffe c tiv e .. . . E nvironm ental exposure can only be reduced e ffe c tiv e ly by reducing the am ount o f toxaphene used." Severn added that " in this m atter we believe o u r p o sitio n has strong su pp o rt” from F .P A ’ s scientific a d visory panel— the body that reviews the agency's pesticide regulatory de cisio n — as well as " f r o m respected en viro n m en tal scientists around the c o u n try ." A c c o rd in g to a n o th e r E P A m e m o , p a n e l m e m b e r D r . John D o u ll, professor o f p h a rm a c o lo g y at th e U n iv e r s ity o f K an s a s , c o n cluded that the exposure o f the gen e ra l p o p u la tio n to to x a p h e n e in food and water should be controlled " m o re stringently than other ch lo ri n a te d -h y d ro c a rb o n pesticides such as D D T , e n d r in , d ie ld r in , e t c .” E P A banned a ll but m in o r uses o f D D T in I9 7 2 , an d o f th e la tte r chemicals in 1974. The m em o, from W illia m D ic k in son, deputy d ire c to r o f E P A ’ s spe cial pesticides review diviison, q u o t ed D u o ll as saying that the " m a in e l em en ts o f m y c o n c e rn w ith lo x a - phene are t h a t . . .i t p ro du ces th y roid carcinom a in rats; it is w idely distributed in the environm ent; b io accum ulates and gets in to the food chain; and it has specific adverse e f fects on fish and other species in the en vironm ent.” The D ic k in s o n m em o re commended that toxaphene be can celled for all uses except fo r control ol scabies-causing mites on cattle. It also suggested that the m ajor m anu fa c tu re r o f th e c h e m ic a l, B F C C h e m ic a l, place a d d itio n a l restric tions on the use o f to xap hen e as a cattle dip, and conduct studies to es tablish new tolerances fo r it in meat products. This is essentially the same action recom m ended in 279-pagc d ra ft o f the agency’ s fin a l s c ie n tific review o f toxaphene dated Dec. 12, 1980. The Dickinson memo o f one year la te r urged th e B F C C h e m ic a l “ sh ou ld be in fo rm e d th a t a fte r June, 1982, the agency w ill no long er delay the process o f g oin g f o r ward w ith regulatory action on tox- a p h in e ." A re p re s e n ta tiv e o f B F C , H a n k Pierce, slated in a telephone in te r view that E P A and B FC had agreed not to disclose details o f the negotia tio n s now u n d e rw a y . P ie rc e c o n tended that no deadline had been set on the negotiations. But D r. John A . T o d h u n te r, as sistant a d m in is tra to r fo r pesticides und to xic substances at E P A , said that he believed the o ffic e o f pesti cide p ro g ra m s " h a s a fis h -o r-c u t- bait d a te " fo r concluding negotia tions with B FC . A lthough he would not discuss d e ta ils o f the n e g o tia tio n s , o r s p e c ify th e d e a d lin e , he stated that E P A expects to resolve the issues with the company " w ith in the next few m o nths.” A ccording to E P A ’s 1980 a n a ly sis, toxaphene is registered fo r use in over 300 commodities in addition to cotton and catttie. The cost to fa rm ers o f c a n c e llin g the m a jo r use o f to x a p h e n e was e s tim a te d at S6.1 m illio n — a cost deemed " in s ig n ifi c a n t" by the agency in 1980. In a letter dated June 23, 1982, to E P A a d m in is tra to r A n n e M . G o r- such. Congressm an George B orw n (D -C a ) urged the agency to " m o v e e x p e d itio u s ly to cancel a ll m a jo r uses o f to xaphene." Brown is chair m an o f the house a g ric u ltu re sub c o m m itte e w ith ju r is d ic tio n o ver pesticide matters. E P A ’s T o d h u n te r, a Reagan a p pointee, blamed the five-year delay in reg u lato ry action on the n u m e r ous reviews and avenues fo r appeal built in to E P A ’s intensive pesticide review process. H e said he supports a d m in is tra tio n p ro po sals to s h ift fro m the present review process to in fo rm a l n eg o tiatio n s w ith m a n u fa c tu re rs , aim ed at v o lu n ta ry co n trols. “ W e w ould have nailed Jtoxa- phene) back in 1 9 7 8 ,” T o d h u n te r claim ed, were it not fo r the lengthy review . " T h e fact that the delay is there bothers us. There may be cases w h ere it does m a k e a d iffe re n c e whether we act today or a year from to d a y ." But M aureen H in k le , policy an al yst fo r the N a tio n a l A ud u bo n Soci ety in W a s h in g to n , c h a rg e d th a t "m o st o f the delay on toxaphene is a m atter o f sheer lack o f guts w ithin the a g e n c y .” H in k le n o te d th a t widespread c o n ta m in a tio n o f areas CMCK I» with that Original Naw Orleans Flavor a a a • a a • a a I’VE GOT GREAT LEGS! 3 Locations To Sarve You: J049N.E. Union Ave. 283-9642 3120 N.E. Union Ave. 281 2628 2320 S E. 82nd Ave. 774-9651 aaa a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Our present-size dollar bills, which measure 6 1 /8 inches by 2 5 /8 inches, were first issued in 1929. Be fore that, dollar bills were longer and wider. • One county in Texas — Brewster County—is 6 times bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. a The U .S . alm ost had states nam ed J e fferso n , Franklin, Aroostock and Sequoyah. Originally Colo rado was going to be called Jefferson; Tennessee, Franklin; M aine, Aroostock; and Oklahoma, Sequo yah. We do not do business with South Africa Insecticide contamination nationwide (C o ntin u ed fr o m page I column 6) vopexes fa r re m o v e d fr o m to x a p h e n e use were reported by South C aro lin a re searchers in 1979, and were w id ely publicized. ©PACIFIC NEWSSERVICE. 1982 American State Bank AN INDEPENDENT BANK Head Ortica 2737 N. C. Union Portland, Oregon 97212 Professional Preference Curl 35°° French Curl 35°° We w ent curly yesterday, Variety Salon 4554 N.E. Union 284-6017 3516 N.E. 15th 287-5618 a a a a a a a a a
