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Image provided by: University at Buffalo
The S II % % I | | |\ \ I ‘'\ fridoy V ' ' . ' • t ' . I ' . *&, l„ s r Vol. 30, No. 7 / SUNY at Buffalo / Friday, 20 July 1979 dtttributad fra* to the University community / limit ana copy par paraon y •- ' Am ■Jf , Plan to house low-level radioactive wastes in Abbott Annex by Daniel S. Parker Editor-m-Chief Any day now, the University is planning to temporarily store low-level radioactive material in the Abbot Library annex on the Main Street Campus. There it will stay until the radioactivity levels are such that the material can be disposed of as ordinary waste. Currently, Abbott Annex 'is being used as storage space for extra dormitory mattresses, but plans call for workers to clear the way for the low-level material “possibly by next week.” Radiation Protection Manager Mark Pierro explained that the high-level waste will continue to be stored on the second floor of the Howe building located on the edge of the Main Street Campus. In the past, the University was responsible for paying outside contractors to ship the material to one of three burial grounds for radioactive waste in the U.S. - at Hanford, Washington; Beatty, Nevada; and Barnwell, South Carolina. Cocktail anyone? Last year., the University shipped radioactive material five times for burial, each of the shipments included ISO fifty-gallon drums. These drums contained radioactive solid material such as paper, lab coats, and crushed waste; animal carcasses; and liquid scintillation vials. (WASTE BARRELS: Th# barrel* pictured here ere presently sitting in the Mein Street Campus's Howe building and waiting for their eventual shipment to Hanford, Washington - the site of Onrof the U.S.'s throe burial grounds lor radioactive waste. THYAC III: TH« instrument shown baove is ■ hand-held survey gauge used to determine whether contamination is present in a work area. One use it to measure the amount of low level or high level mdioMeo on the clothing of woriun handling radioactive wastes. The scintillation vials are the type of low-level material that the University hopes to segregate and stor&aitf Abbott until it can be disposed of without danger. Last May, the South Carolina burial ground refused to accept scintillation vials - or “nuclear cocktails,” as they are called — from schools throughout the country, thus boosting shipping costs to the other two sites. At UB, Biochemistry Chairman Alexander Brownie told The Spectrum that the University has been trying to have researchers use their own grant money to pay for the disposal of their radioactive waste. Brownie, who pointed to the time-consuming process of obtaining grants and then altering them, explained that researchers operate on a fixed budget and the-University should cover the disposal cgsts. He noted that a percentage of research monies goes to a University Research fund, and these monies should cover this type of charge. time. For example, he cited Phosphorous 32, which has a 14.28 day half life. ILfhe material was kept for 10 half lives, namely 143 days, then it could be disposed of like ordinary waste. He explained the logic behind the decision to store waste in Abbott saying, “Why dispose of something radioactive when by the time it’s processed, stored, and buried, it will no longer be radioactive?” shipment to Washington. One way the University is Although those barrels contain limiting potential dangers is by both high and low-level material,, only having one truck pick-up the they will not be separated for \kaste from the various labs on storage on campus. The campus and local hospitals. In University’s last pick-up was May addition, all pick-ups will be 10 and there are about 175 barrels conducted by people under in the locked Howe second floor Bruce’s jurisdiction with proper - where there is enough room for training. up to 3.00 barrels. Last week, the local Civil Abbott Annex was Service Employees Association recommended as a suitable (CSEA) union filed a grievance building by Vice President for charging the University with Facilities Planning John Neal, inadequate procedures for the’ Pierro explained that the room handling of chemical and met the necessary safety criteria: radioactive waste. One specific lockable, concrete walls, relatively point was that “any old available out of the way, and close to a truck” has been used in the past, loading dock. He said, “It’s our But the CSEA maintenance job to make sure the material is workers don’t have to worry stored safely and won’t pose a according to Bmce. “Maintenance hazard to anyone.” won’t touch it,” he said. Environmental insult U niversity Radiation Safety officer Alan Bruce revealed that some labs on campus have been storing their own low-level material until they can dispdse of it properly. Bruce felt that although .there was a cost savings involved' — Jthe same savings the University -mopes to incur by storingthe material in Abbott — he would prefer keeping all of the low-level waste in one area. Bruce remarked, “It’s an environmental insult to bury waste that doesn’t need to be buried.” No hazard ‘ Currently, the material stored in Howe will continue to stockpile before it is picked up for Pierro explained that the material will be stored on campus until it loses much of its radioactivity over a period of Students still fighting for free legal service obtain free representation in court under a service that would be funded by mandatory student activity fees. Ketter, however, maintained that such a service would be in violation of guidelines established for the disbursal of mandatory student fees. According to those guidelines, mandatory fees are to be spent only for programs that are of “educational, social or cultural enrichment or benefit to the campus community” and for student services “to supplement or add to those provided by the University.” Former SUNY Acting Chancellor James Kelly previously stated in The Spectrum that “It is our view that individual representation is of such a private —continued on page 11— by Mark Meltzer Campus editor Group Legal Services’ (GLS) three year struggle to provide UB students with free legal representation came one step closer to a conclusion yesterday in Federal Judge John T. Curtin’s private chambers. At press time Tuesday it was not know whether Curtin would rule in favor of University President Robert L. Ketter who has consistently rejected the legality of the GLS program. Curtin may rule in favor of GLS, or he may reserve decision until a later date. The case was heard last Wednesday. Since 1976, GLS has argued that students should be able to Inside: Socialist speaks— P. 2 / 'Works and Days’—P. 5 / Shakespeare in the park—P. 7 / Sisters Sledge—P. 10
