Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 1979)
Page 6 THE BATTALION MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1979 Sun Theatres 333 University 84t The only movie in town Double-Feature Every Week Open 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Sat. 12 Noon - 12 Midnight Sun 846*9808 Lawsuit in Silkwood nuclear safety casi continues against employer after 5 yeai No one under 18 Escorted Ladies Free BOOK STORE & 25c PEEP SHOWS United Press International OKLAHOMA CITY — Karen Silkwood worked long and hard to correct grave safety problems she said existed at the Kerr-McGee nu clear plant — problems that were Attention All Students MSC Town Hall is accepting applications for new members March 19-23. Applications are due no later than March 23 in rm. 216 MSC. Interviews will be held March 26-30. far more publicized after she died than before. The 28-year-old woman was killed in a traffic accident in 1974 repor tedly while on her way to meet with a newspaper reporter and a union representative about alleged unsafe working conditions at the nuclear plant where she worked. Since her untimely death, her family and foes of the nuclear indus try have united behind an $11.5 mil lion lawsuit against her employer, Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corp. The suit alleges the company’s negligence in providing a safe work ing atmosphere for its workers ended in Silkwood’s contamination with radioactive plutonium. Tests on Silkwood shortly before her death showed she had been con- taminated with the cancer-causing substance, which workers handled on a daily basis at the Kerr-McGee plant. The suit’s allegations of unsafe working conditions have been sup ported for almost two weeks in tes timony in the federal court hearing of the case. Former workers have described the Kerr-McGee facility, located near Oklahoma City, as a “pigpen” and a place that was in “deplorable condition.” Witnesses have testified they saw pieces of radioactive uranium lying around on the floor and being used as paperweights. One former em ployee even testified he saw work ers playfully throw chunks of uranium at each other. Scientist Dr. Karl Morgan, a nu clear advocate and pioneer in the field of health safety at nuclear facilities, described the Kerr- McGee plant as one of the worst op erations he’d ever studied. “There was a wanton disregard for health and safety,” he said of the Kerr-McGee operation. “There seemed to be a burning desire to put production first and safety sec ond.” A former health technician for several years at the plant testified he finally quit his job because contami nation was “everywhere” and he could not keep up with all the expo sure cases. Perhaps the most sensational tes timony in the trial, expected to last at least four more weeks, came from Fight Night is Here! England Dan & John Ford Coley Presented by TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY MSC TOWN HALL FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 8:00 P.M. G. ROLLIE WHITE COLISEUM A&M Student/Date Non A&M Student Date General Public General Admission FREE w/ticket $3.00 $4.00 Reserved $4.00/4.50 $4.00/4.50 $6.00/6.50 Tickets & info MSC Box Office 845-2916 Morgan. The internationally kno»i| searcher blamed a security that “leaked like a sieve for appearance of 40 pouni plutonium from the Kerr-.\|| plant. Morgan said the amount of ing plutonium was enough toi several nuclear weapons capal imperiling the human race. Kerr-McGee has admitted report to the Atomic Energy mission it cannot account fo whereabouts of the 40 pom plutonium. They contend,hoi the missing substance is the pipe system at the plant, closed in 1975. The corporation’s explanation challenged in testimony by fj employee James Smith, who the court his crews flushed on pipes for weeks and could find a small amount of plutonium, Kerr-McGee attorneys spent most of their cross e; efforts attempting to discredit nesses. In other testimony, two employees told the court they attended federally required safety training classes while wo at Kerr-McGee. The worken testified no one ever told then could get cancer from too mi posure to radiation. Kerr-McGee lawyers attei to cast doubt on their testimi submitting health safety meetii tendance reports signed by thil nesses. But the former empl| testified their names had forged on the attendance sh 1 I I can J froi wh; 1 \ Ne 1 and vita I firs! At I Boxing Between TAMU Organizations, Dorms, Fraternities & Corp of Cadets OVER 80 ENTRIES ?.T s i!2, N: 150 KEGS OF $1.00 W/ID $1.50 NON STUDENT BEER Debaters win ho no at SWTS the occi am beei he v N MARCH 23RD at 6:00 p.m. MARCH 24TH at 1:00 p.m. BRAZOS COUNTY PAVILLION (Hwy. 6 at Tabor Rd.) Come Register For Over $2000 of Precious Stones to Be Given Away by Diamond Brokers of C.S. The Texas A&M University Team has won third place trojUH in the annual Southwest Texasil University tournament in Saa| cos. Lydia Johnson, Lufkin, and encia Smith, Houston, tool place in duo-dramatic intei tion. Johnson also won third* matic interpretation with a a from the play “Dark of the Mm Pam Putman, Houston, pb the top three in extemporat speaking. Norma Ocha, Edin' advanced to the finals in pro! terpretation. Kathy Hauschild of Vick Smith and Johnson advancedt|~ semifinals in prose interprel poetry interpretation and expo! speaking. The debate team of Mike Sti Victoria, and Ocha broke intol quarterfinals before losinj| Louisiana State University two-to-one decision. WE NEED YOU! The MSC Council and Directorate has memberships open in most of its committees throughout the year. Presently, the following committees are accepting applications for OFFICER positions: MSC Aggie Cinema MSC Arts MSC Black Awareness Committee MSC Camera MSC Free University MSC Great Issues MSC Hospitality MSC Opera and Performing Arts Society MSC Outdoor Recreation Committee MSC Radio MSG Recreation MSC Student Conference on National Affairs MSC Travel MSC Town Hall MSC Videotape Apply Room 216 MSC Deadline: Wednesday, March 21, 1979 ☆ ☆☆☆ it it it i? it it IT S ILTILT! it THE it it it it i I ill /MLbS.bC.. AILIL- ILNII'VIEICSIITT ☆ 'VAicniEiry sinews ☆ ☆ ☆ it PERFORMANCE - ^ IRUDIDIEIR A EE'. 4 &sf>0 PM TICKETS - ☆ J ☆ STUDENTS NON -STUD. S 1.CC i S 1.SC ☆ ☆ ☆ -&■ ft ft ^ -h-