Hudspeth County Herald and Dell Valley Review (Dell City, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, October 12, 1990 Page: 2 of 12
twelve pages : ill. ; page 14 x 12 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
PAGE 2, HUDSPETH COUNTY HERALD-Dell Valley Review, OCT. 12, 1990
Nuke dun
can
Batcho said the construc-
T-)
I wa
coexist with rock
art, experts say
Nuclear
waste plan
draws fire
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
MEMBER
1990
(Fort Worth Star Telegram
September 25, 1990)
A public hearing in
Arlington will debate
a proposal to ease
disposal rules.
BY MICHAEL WHITELEY
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Environmental critics say federal re-
gulators are considering a policy shift
that could clear the way for the opera-
tors of Comanche Peak nuclear power
plant to toss out 30 percent of its low-
level waste with ordinary household
garbage.
The proposed new waste classifica-
tion by the Nuclear Regulatory Com-
mission. dubbed Below Regulatory
Concern, would allow nuclear power
plants, hospitals, universities and med-
ical clinics to more easily dispose of
items that now must be packed in con-
tainers, shipped to one of three licensed
U.S. disposal sites and buried in con-
crete.
Proponents say the policy is a first
step toward easing the shortage of dis-
posal space for the nation’s growing
mound of radioactive garbage.
But it also touched off a battle be-
tween the NRC and nuclear protest
groups, who say the move is a thinly
veiled effort to cut the cost of decom-
missioning old nuclear power plants.
Top ranking NRC officials and the
environmental groups will debate the
proposal at 1 p.m. today at Arlington
Convention Center in one of four pub-
lic hearings across the U.S. during the
summer and fall.
The rule, which would be based on
average levels of radiation emissions,
could apply to protective clothing and
gloves worn by nuclear power plant
workers, rags used in cleanup and refu-
eling operations, radioactive pharma-
ceuticals, X-ray materials and other
items currently used in medical re-
search and testing.
Officials of the NRC and TU Elec-
tric, Comanche Peak’s owner and oper-
ator, say the policy will have little effect
on Texas waste generators and might
never be used at Comanche Peak, near
Glen Rose.
Although state officials estimate TU
Electric could save $1.4 million in an-
nual disposal costs, utility spokesman
Dave Fiorelli said public opposition to
the change might keep TU Electric
from cashing in on the potential exemp-
tion.
“The industry as a whole — and TU
and I think it’s a good policy. But as
long as the public feels it’s a bad policy,
we’re not going to take advantage of it, ”
.Fiorelli said. “We don’t want to be
raising fears—even ifthey’re unfound-
ed fears.”
Comanche Peak opponents have
planned a noon demonstration at the
Arlington Convention Center to pro-
test the policy change and will be carry-
ing a blue banner flow; around the
country by groups opposing the change
at other hearings.
Betty Brink, a spokeswonw:. for Citi-
zens for Fair Utility Regulation in Fort
Worth, said the banner warning “Don’t
Waste the U.S.” has become a call to
arms for the most recent fight over
nuclear power.
She blames the push on an impend-
ing shortage of low-level radioactive
storage sites and the Department of
Energy which did not win approval for
a plan to provide high-level storage for
nuclear waste.
"They've admitted the stuff they’re
putting out is really an effort to deter-
mine how safe is safe,” Brink said. “We
think this is all an attempt to get rid of
waste and for the decommissioning of
plants.”
NRC regional spokesman Joe Gilli-
land said the policy only clears the way
for the NRC to propose rules and grant
exemptions for qualified applications.
The policy would be based on radia-
tion levels measured in millirem, the
standard measure of radioactive expo-
sure. Gilliland said an average chest X-
ray emits 6 to 8 millirem. He said the
average person is exposed to back-
ground levels of 300 millirem per year
in homes and workplaces.
Materials produced for mass con-
sumption could be exempted if it sub-
jects each user to an average radiation
emission of less than 1 millirem per
year.
Dump sites and decommissioned
power plants could apply for exemp-
tions for materials emitting less than 10
millirem per year on workers and oth-
ers exposed to the areas.
“These numbers are compatible with
background levels. That’s what we’re
trying to accomplish,” Gilliland said.
“What the policy says, upfront, is that if
you... want to be deregulated, it’s got
to fall within these guidelines.”
Fiorelli said the change could affect
about 30 percent of the 40,000 cubic
feet of low-level radioactive waste Co-
manche Peak will generate this year.
Fiorelli said the plant is holding materi-
als for shipment to one of the nation’s
three licensed disposal sites in
Barnwell, S.C.
Impetus for the change comes in part
from a refusal by all three of the states
now accepting radioactive waste to
close their borders to out-of-state gen-
erators by 1993 — a federal policy'
designed to force more states to move
ahead with creating dump sites for low-
level nuclear waste.
And proponents say the change could
save generator', sheet Sad million a
year.
Rick Jacobi, general manager of the
Texas Low-level Radicactive Waste
Disposal Authority, says generators
now paying $ 120 per cubic foot to have
their waste compacted, shipped to
South Carolina and sealed in concrete
-could pay $2 per cubic foot to dump it
with their traditional garbage in munic-
ipal or county landfills.
But Jacobi said most Texas medical
institutions and other generators have
been exempt under a state “below regu-
latory concern” rule since 1987.
Despite its efforts, Texas is racing a
national deadline to build its own, $30
million radioactive waste disposal site
near El Paso, about 12 miles from the
Rio Grande. The commission is await-
ing a decision expected as early as De-
cember from an El Paso state district
judge whom El Paso County officials,
have asked to block construction of the.
dump site.
Jacobi said the project, initially
scheduled for completion in 1993, can-
not be completed before 1996a
federal deadline for states tosecure a
disposal site for their own waste.
But Jacobi says nuclear pov/er plants
may never be exempted by state rules,
which currently require the licensed
disposal of about 60,000 cubic feet of
radioactive waste each year.
“Nuclear power plants don’t make
use of the exemption because their ra-
dioactive stream is so mixed up... that
they would have a hard time meeting
the rule as it is written in Texas,” he
said.
He said the lab produces 150
cubic meters of radioactive
waste every year.
He discussed the possibility of
a long-term radioactive waste
storage building at a Tuesday
meeting of the Advisory Com-
mittee to the Department of
Energy on Nuclear Facility
Safety, which is conducting
hearings around the country.
The 16-member committee has
been in Los Alamos this week.
Drypolcher described the stor-
age site as “a very, very
LOS ALAMOS — Construe- W
tion of a $130 million site to
store radioactive waste pro-
duced at Los Alamos National
Laboratory might be necessary
if the Waste Isolation Pilot
Plant southeast of Carlsbad
runs into further delays, a tab
official said.
The WIPP site, a U.S. Depart-
ment of Energy project to store A
radioactive waste in the salt W
beds, has not opened - largely
because of health and safety
concerns.
“The problem is WIPP is five
to 10 years down the road,” said
Anthony Drypolcher, a waste
management specialist for the
lab.
“We recognize we must store
waste at Los Alamos National a
Laboratory and at the same •
time protect our workers and
the public.”
The proposed building would
be able to hold the approxi-
mately 7,000 cubic meters of
radioactive waste now stored in
various locations at the lab,
Drypolcher said.
He said the lab produces 150
cubic meters of radioactive a
waste every' year. •
He discussed the possibility of
a long-term radioactive waste
storage building at a Tuesday
meeting of the Advisory Com-
mittee to the Department of
Energy on Nuclear Facility
Safety, which is conducting
hearings around the country.
The 16-member committee has
been in Los Alamos this week, a
Drypolcher described the stor-
age site as “a very, very
preliminary proposal that
would not be part of the lab’s
budget until 1994. And he said
that if the site is approved,
construction would be “well
down the road from then.”
The committee criticized the
laboratory's safety procedures.
One member, Dana Powers, @
said he saw inflammable chemi-
cals “just standing on the shelf’
in the chemistry and metal-
lurgy research area.
The building’s manager, D.J.
Sandstrom, said the laboratory
planned to build a new nuclear
research and development area
to take over the function of
his building, built in 1952.
preliminary proposal” that
would hot be part of the lab’s @
budget until 1994. And he said
that if the site is approved,
construction would be “well
down the road from then.”
The committee criticized the
laboratory’s safety procedures.
One member, Dana Powers,
said he saw inflammable chemi-
cals “just standing on the shelf’
in the chemistry and metal-
lurgy research area. @
The building’s manager, D.J.
Sandstrom, said the laboratory
planned to build a new nuclear
research and development area
to take over the function of
his building, built in 1952.
El Paso Times - 9/29/90
WIPP delays,
may lead to
Los Alamos
waste site
Associated Press
tion of a waste dump and a
road leading to it would
change the environment.
tant and an archaeologist tes- “It (road) will provide easy
tified Tuesday that it’s impos-' access for people to have
sible for a planned unrestricted access to the
nuclear-waste dump to coexist (rock-art) sites. When there is
with the nearby rock art of an unrestricted access, people
ancient people who lived in vandalize,” he said.
this region. Schaafsma, author of a book
David Batcho, environmen- on American Indian rock art,
tai consultant with Batcho gave a slide presentation in
and Kauffman of El Paso, and court of the rock art of the
archaeologist Polly Schaafsma Jornada Indians, who lived
of Santa Fe testified in 34th in this region between the
District Court in the trial over years 1050 and 1400. The
the state’s plans to build a artwork is scattered among
dump for low-level radioactive the jagged rocks and coarse
waste in Hudspeth County. terrain about 2% to four miles
“No, we don’t believe the from the spot where the
facility can coexist with the state wants to put the nuclear-
rock art,” Batcho told the waste dump.
Herald-Post during a break in In her presentation,
the trial, “because one of Schaafsma described some of
, the things that makes the rock the 4,000 ancient figures and
art significant ... is the set- 30 campsites found in that
ting in which it exists.” area. She said the draw-
On the 11th day of the trial, ings link the Southwest with
the county put its last witness Mexican mythology.
on the stand. The state was Figures depicting the Mexi-
expected to present its experts can gods Quetzalcoatl and
and evidence today. Tlaloc were carved on several
Among other arguments, El rocks by the Indians, who were
Paso County is contending hunters and gatherers, said
that the state shouldn’t dump Schaafsma.
nuclear waste in an area laden Batcho said the rock-art site
with petroglyphs, or pictures was put on the National
'etched or carved into rock, and Register of Historic Places on
pictographs, or paintings on Oct. 28, 1988. The organiza-
rock. State guidelines say that tion lists it on its regis-
the site cannot be located in an ter.
area of major archaeological “It’s our heritage,” he said,
significance. "It’s representative of an art
Batcho told the Herald-Post style of people who are long
that the setting contributes to gone, „and can’t be repro-
the value of the prehistoric duced.”
rock art. Rick Jacobi, general man-
“If you change the setting, ager with the Texas Low-Level
you detract from the signifi- Radioactive Waste Disposal
cance of the rock art,” he said. Authority, said the rock art
"“It’s virtually impossible to and the waste dump can
protect a setting if you are coexist. He said the site can be
going to alter a setting. And developed to protect the rock
what the authority proposes to art from vandals, using state
do is alter the setting.” impact-assistance funds.
By Raul Hernandez
El Faso Herald-Post
An environmental consul-
Hudspeth CsuntyK(0
and DELL VALLEY REVIEW C eeCCU
Serving Dell City and Hudspeth County
290 Trail West Park, P. O. Box 650, Deli City, Texas 79037 915-964-2426,
964-2690 964-2219
Secome ciepincane paid in Bell City, Texas 99837
Subsidiary GARY MARY, INC.
Mary Louies Lynch___________ESiesc Pubise
Mary Geetry— ____.......t-Assistant A Advertising
Joyce Gimnare—----------Saht Plot ESiter
C. Wass M.------------Grow Pint Bales
Linde Peak....------------------------IL Mancock Mltor
Demnice M. Eldes._____________________________Slocta Bianca duster
Care Certoc—_....„_......_._......_____uefelge Comp Deltas
Selly brown...------_____...........Courtheum bhses
Advertising rates upon request from Business Office, open all
day Mondays and until aeea Tuesdays. Ogres Thusedlay AM
Ben 659 290 Trail West Park:
Doll City, Texas79897
Oiasst County)
m*: 017223074*2070 915-964-2490
Any erensous reflection upon the character, standing or 9010
reputation of any person, firm or corporation, which may 5-964-2319
occur in the celunes of the Hudsped County Risrald wis
be gladly casected open being brought to the attention of
the odites publishes. The publisher to not responsible for
espy earlarions et typographical errors which CM
©ter than to essrect them to the next issue after
to ettrstice, and to no case doss the publisher to___
Wable for damages forties than the amount received for
ectasispecs covering theerres. The sight to seaeevod to
reject nr edit di advertising copy as well as editorial
and news content
Required by the Post Office to be Pet to Advance
PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY OF EACH week
For Hedspot County, Texas’ Third Largest Come
SUBSCRIPTIONS: $11.00 in County
$12.00 Out of County
Mil Out of State
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Lynch, Mary Louise. Hudspeth County Herald and Dell Valley Review (Dell City, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, October 12, 1990, newspaper, October 12, 1990; Dell City, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1602302/m1/2/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .