Portland Observer, June 30, 1962 Page 5
Washington Hot Line
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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
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with that
Original Naw Orleans
Flavor
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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
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Portland, Oregon 97212
Professional
Preference Curl
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We w ent curly
yesterday,
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4554 N.E. Union
284-6017
3516 N.E. 15th
287-5618
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