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Boynton, Muse deny toxic-site story
By GREG FREEMAN
R«l and Black Staff Writer
Calling it “grossly inadequate,"
University officials on Tuesday denied
a published report of inadequate
monitoring of a University waste-
disposal site
Asa Boynton, the University's public-
safety director, and Lowell Muse, chief
radiation safety officer, said the waste
dump on Will Hunter Road has been
monitored adequately, despite a story
in Sunday's Athens Banner-Herald The
Daily News that said it may not have
been
Boynton and Muse said the story,
written by University student Richard
J Lenz, misquoted them and quoted
them out of context They claimed that
Lenz knowingly omitted important in
formation, thereby implicating them in
running a site "that lacks adequate
monitoring facilities "
The article said the University built
only three of five planned waste
monitoring wells when the site was con
structed in 1876 and concludes that the
site may be inadequately monitored
Boynton and Muse, who were quoted
extensively in the article, said Lenz
deliberately failed to point out that re
quirements to build such wells weren't
enacted until last year, six years after
the site was built They said the
University had complied with all
existing regulations
"We have, frankly, the best disposal
facilities of any university I know of. in
the Southeast at least." Muse said
When asked about the denial, Lenz
said he didn't delete important in
formation. and said the article was
reliable.
"I definitely stand by my story." he
said. “I worked on this story for two
months It's a very reliable source."
The dump is located on Will Hunter
Road off the Macon Highway, near
South Milledge Avenue The seven-acre
site was planned in 1975 and included
construction of five monitoring wells
The wells were not required, according
to officials, but were desired as an add
ed safety precaution
"There has never been any require
ment for wells until last December,"
Muse said "It’s only come about as the
result of recent increased concern for
the environment "
The wells were not built at the time of
the original site development in 1976
because of budget problems, according
to Boynton and Muse
In separate interviews, both said the
wells were planned once again in the
late 1970s. but plans once again fell
through because of budget problems At
that time, the University decided to
Radiation Safety Officer Lowell
Muse, right, and Public Safety Direc
tor Asa Boynton say Sunday’s article
in the Athens Banner-Herald The
Daily News misquoted them and
quoted Ihrm out of context. The arti
cle's writer, student Richard J. l.enz.
denies the charges and says he stands
by his story. Boynton and Muse say
l.enz deliberately left out information
that cleared them and failed to point
out that the regulation in question
wasn't passed until six years after the
Will Hunter Road site was built. In
fact, they say, the University's site is
one of the Southeast's safest.
separate facilities for handling toxic-
waste and low-level radioactive waste,
a move necessary to comply with state
regulations
"We just felt that separation of
chemical and radioactive waste was a
higher priority,” Boynton said. “Now,
that is a required regulation."
When the University sought to renew
its license to dispose of hazardous
waste last December, the state Depart
ment of Natural Resources recom
mended that the University install
monitoring wells as originally planned
Officials of the University agreed, and
the construction of the wells became a
binding clause of the agreement to
renew the University's license.
"It wasn't a strong recommenda
tior.," Boynton said. "They, in essence,
agreed with our desires to get the wells
They don’t feel like they have to hit us
in the head with a 10-pound sledge
They know we ll get the wells as soon as
passible."
Muse added that no deadline was
given for construction of the well Bids
now are coming from private firms for
the project.
John Taylor, DNR's program
manager of the industrious and
hazardous-wastc-inanagement pro
gram. confirmed that for a waste site
the size of the University's that handles
the type of wastes handled at the site,
very few regulations are involved
An important point is that the Univer
sity now only buries radioactive animal
carcasses at the site, Taylor said. Dur
ing the time that other materials were
buried there, only basic regulations
were involved concerning paperwork
and the actual burial, he added
In 1979, Georgia passed the Hazar
dous Waste Management Act, requiring
more stringent monitoring of waste
disposal. At that time, the University
stopped burying chemical waste and
continues only to bury the animal car
casses Guidelines exist concerning the
manner in which this material must be
buried, but no charges of infractions
have been levelled against the Univer
sity's burial techniques
Taylor confirmed that the University
had complied with the changing regula
tions and added that monitoring wells
were never required at the campus
dump site.
Boynton and Muse also responded to
charges that past records of waste
burial are nonexistent or disorganized.
Before 1969, researchers were allow
ed to independently dispose of waste
materials, but were guided by basic
regulations
"They were required to bury it four
feet deep, one burial a month, on
government property and in very small
specified amounts," Muse said The
Atomic Energy Commission felt they
were so small that they weren't
dangerous "
Muse and Boynton said that records
for these burials were sketchy at best,
but they said the burials posed no pro
blem
"I've never heard of any instance in
the United States of anyone being ex
posed from these old sites," Muse said
"Our situation is not unique. They have
these things at universities all over the
country.”
THE RED AND BLACK
An independent student newspoper setvinq the University of Georqio community
Athens, Go. Vol. 91, No. 4 Wednesday, Sept. 26, 1980 News 540-1809 Advertising 540-1791
Hillenbrand brings
experience to new job
By LEE SMITH
IIH anil Mark Stall W rtlrr
Martin Hillenbrand unwittingly
foreshadowed Richard Nixon's
downfall nearly 25 years before
Watergate in his book. Power and
Morals "
"Powerful men often become
evermore intolerant of criticism and
opposition, more unfeeling to
subordinates and more reluctant to
recognize any limits to their power."
Hillenbrand wrote
If anyone knows about the inner
workings of government and the
trappings of the presidency, it would
be Hillenbrand. director of the Global
Studies Program in the University's
political science department
Photographs of him with Lyndon
Johnson and former West German
Chancellor Willy Brandt hang on the
walls of his office in Baldwin Hall
These are mementoes from Hillen-
brand's 37-year career in the foreign
service — a career that spanned
World War II. through the Cold War
and into the detente era
As one of the top American experts
on Europe. Hillenbrand was involved
in the Strategic Arms Limitation
Talks and was the head of the Berlin
Task Force when tensions over the
city threatened to start World War III
dunng the early 1960s He eased those
tensions by working on the Four
Powers Treaty He also has served as
U S ambassador to Hungary and
West Germany, as well as assistant
secretary of state for European af
fairs
In his long diplomatic career.
Hillenbrand has worked with four
presidents — Dwight Eisenhower,
John Kennedy. Lyndon Johnson and
Richard Nixon — and with Secretary
of State Henry Kissinger
1 His ability to adapt has made him a
I successful diplomat Hillenbrand
■easily has adjusted to tense
■diplomatic situations, different
■presidential administrations and
■different cultures
I The Ohio-born diplomat joined the
■foreign service in the late 1930s w hen
■ lie realized war was inevitable in
■Europe "I wanted to make a con-
Enbution." he says
ip He took the foreign service exam
and was commissioned by President
Franklin D Roosevelt to his first
assignment in Zurich As vice consul,
he processed visas for thousands of
Jews who had escaped from the Nazis
and wanted to emigrate to the United
States The most difficult and saddest
part of the job, he says, was the
limited number of visas then
available under US immigration
laws
During World War II, Hillenbrand
was sent to Burma and India, but his
experience lies mainly in West
Germany
After the war, Hillenbrand was sent
to Germany, which had been divided
into four zones by the American.
Soviet, British and French Allies He
was made consul in Bremen,
establishing close contact with the
British zone
kis job often took him to Berlin, and
he waszn the city when tensions flared
up between the Western Allies and the
Soviet* in 1948 In fact, his was the last
vehicle to leave Berlin by land before
the Soviets began their blockade of
the city’s western sectors For 10
months, all goods and passenger
transport by rail and autobahn were
cut off from Wekt Berlin
Hillenbrand describes the Berlin
blockade as "one df the Soviet Union's
major stupidities It cost them a great
deal, both politically and public
relations-wise ” He think the Soviets'
attempt to squeeze the French,
British and Americans out of West
Berlin was one of primary reasons
leading to the Cold War
About a decade later in 1958, Soviet
Premier Nikita Khrushchev provoked
a new Berlin crisis by demanding
withdrawal of the Western powers
from West Berlin
From 1958 to 1963, American foreign
policy was dominated by the crisis,
which almost brought the United
States and Soviet Union to war
At the time, he was director of the
U S Office of German Affairs
Because of Hillenbrand s expertise
and knowledge of Germany.
President Kennedy appointed him the
head of the Berlin Task Force to
handle emergency planning
Please See HILLENBRAND. Page 2
Liquor store loses its license
By ELIZABETH VAETII
Hrd and Mack Stall Wflirt
University dorm residents will no
longer be able to walk across Baxter
Street to buy a bottle of liquor
Richard Floyd, owner of the
University Package Store on Baxter
Street. Tuesday said he was unable to
sell any liquor because of a 1961 state
law that prohibits selling distilled
spirits within 2tkl yards of a college
campus
However, Floyd said he obtained his
liquor license after the law was put into
effect
Floyd said he was notified of the
revocation of his liquor license last
June
The package store, however, will
retain its beer and wine license, which
it got lief ore the state law was enacted
“It's just been a big mistake," he
said "They had to do what they had to
do That's the way it goes "
Joe Strickland, manager of the
package store, said the inability to sell
liquor hurt the store's revenues,
especially on football game days
"Students are social drinkers," he
said "They buy it on social occasions
On those days, it hurts "
Floyd said the revocation was “sort
of an embarrassing situation "
"1 fought it all I could, but there's no
reason to (pursue it),” he said
Athens city clerk Johnny Fowler said
the delay was a result of an unclear
definition of what constituted an
"educational building "
The new law, revised in July 1981,
more clearly defines that, “No person
knowingly and intentionally may sell or
offer to sell any distilled spirits
within '200 yards of any school building.
Richard Floyd, left, and Joe Strickland fought the law until June
educational building, school grounds or
college campuses.”
"It was an oversight for three years,"
Floyd said "It's there in the law "
Locations that serve liquor by the
drink are not affected by the same
regulations as package stores
Cathy Ashley, a sophomore art major
residing in Mell Hall, said she regrets
losing easy access to the store.
"It's kind of stupid that the state
didn't realize it,” she said. "If it hadn't
ever been there, then it wouldn't really
have mattered. They should have
realized it when they gave it (the
license) to them."
Floyd said he already had discussed
the case with his lawyers and that he
was unable to take any further action.
New condos now open—for some
By FRANCINE WILSON
Kp4 Hl»< k Huff W rHer
Most University Towers residents
have traded in suitcase living for the
comforts of home, although life in most
of the homes means no telephone or
power service
City officials gave students the OK to
move into five floors of the eight-story
Broad Street building after an in
spection Saturday. Tom Scott, vice
president of Benchmark/Atlantic, the
company building the condominiums,
said on Tuesday
"The primary concern was
separation of construction workers and
activities from the residents," Scott
said
However, several residents Tuesday
said they were disappointed they had
not received telephone calls informing
them they could move in.
One student said she learned her
condominium was ready from a poster
on the first floor of the building Two
other residents said they learned they
could move in Saturday by word of
mouth
Scott said the 7th through 9th floors
should be completed by the end of next
month and that the additional con
struction costs — plus the almost $2
million Benchmark/Atlantic already
has spent on the project — are not yet
totaled
The estimated 120 to 150 residents
spent the first week of classes living at
East Campus Ridge, University
Gardens and Regency Park apart
ments and at several motels while
construction on the condominiums was
completed Residents of the three
unfinished floors still are living in the
apartments until construction is
completed, Scott said
University Towers switched the
electrical power from generator power
to regular service provided by Georgia
Power Company Tuesday and several
residents said they did not have power
as a result
One resident who wished to remain
anonymous said he felt his con
dominium was not ready for oc
cupancy
"They're really not ready to move
into yet," the student said "They need
paint, and there are no phones or
cable ”
The Hilton Head, S.C.-based com
pany began construction on University
Towers last November The building,
located on Broad Street across from
north campus, was supposed to be
finished last week
The condominiums come completely
furnished. Parking, however, is not
provided Spaces can be rented from
the Athens Downtown Development
Authority for $15 a month.
Scott said he was pleased with
progress on University Towers.
"I think it turned out to be a beautiful
building, " he said.
UGA jinds a new Agent Orange ’
By BRIAN BRASWELL
KN md Mark Hull Wnlrr
When you hear the story behind the discovery, it sounds
like a scene taken straight from Fred MacMurray's move,
“The Absent-Minded Professor ”
In an accidental discovery, University researchers and of
ficials of a Jacksonville. Fla company may have found an
answer to Georgia’s fire ant problem A pesticide developed
from crushed orange peels may prove to be one of the safest,
most effective poisons against fire ants, fleas and other
crawling pests
Max Bass, head of the University's entomology depart
ment. said the idea for the pesticide came from a Jackson
ville company that uses waste orange peels to make hand
soap
“The orange industry in Florida produces a lot of waste
orange peels that are pressed to force out an oil- type liquid
The liquid is sold to anyone who wants it. and this particular
company buys the liquid to make hand cleanser. ' Bass said
"One day. the company had a little of the stuff left over and
they poured it over a fire ant bed,” he said "They checked a
little later and discovered all the fire ants were dead.”
Entomology officials working at Tifton College were con
suited because of their interest in pesticides, and tests
started So far. Bass said, the tests have all been enenurag
ing
"We know it's something coming out of the orange peel that
is acting as the insecticidal agent because there isn't
anything in the detergent that could act as an insecticide,"
Bass said
According to Bass, the liquid that comes out of the orange
peels is amber- colored, extremely volatile and quick to
evaporate. Craig Sheppard, a University assistant en
tomology professor, currently is conducting further tests on
the liquid to determine exactly what part of the orange peel
juice is killing insects.
"We are to the stage right now where we are conducting
LD 50 tests on the liquid," Bass said "LD 50 tests are lethal
dose tests on 50 percent of the insect population that you're
testing the substance on We are trying to isolate the par
ticular component, or fraction, in the liquid that kills in
sects."
Bass said there could be as many as 100 fractions in the li
quid. and that any one of the fractions, or a combination of
several fractions, could be the insecticide When the letal
part of the liquid is isolated and purified, Bass said, the insec
ticide will be much more effective
Please See PESTS, Page 2