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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1979)
Page 6 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1979 Sun Theatres 333 University The only movie in town Double-Feature Every Week Open 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Mon.-Sat. 12 Noon - 12 Midnight Sun No one under 18 Ladies Discount With This Coupon^ BOOK STORE & 25c PEEP SHOWS 846-9808 Nuclear accident? Jury to decide if womans contamination self-inflicted United Press International OKLAHOMA CITY — A federal judge told jurors Tuesday they must find Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corp. li able for damages if Karen Silkwood was injured by plutonium because of the corporation’s nuclear plant oper ation and the escape of the substance from the facility. U.S. District Judge Frank Theis said in his final instructions, how ever, that if the jury decides Ms. Silkwood caused her own contamina tion, the verdict must be in favor of Kerr-McGee. The one hour and 45-minute jury instruction concluded in-courtroom activity in the 11-week-old trial of a multi-million dollar lawsuit Ms. Silkwood’s survivors filed against Kerr-McGee. Theis completed his instructions and sequestered the jury at 11:45 a.m. CDT. The suit alleges the contamination of Ms. Silkwood and her apartment resulted from negligence by Kerr- McGee, owner of a nuclear fuel pro cessing plant where she worked north of Oklahoma City. Ms. Silkwood died in an au tomobile accident Nov. 13, 1974, a week after her contamination. Wit nesses said she was on her way to deliver evidence of Kerr-McGee’s al leged negligence to a New York Times reporter the night she died. Kerr-McGee, a multi-billion dol lar energy corporation, contends Ms. Silkwood removed plutonium from the plant to embarrass the company during union negotiations. Theis instructed the jury on the legal theory of strict liability, which applies to any party involved in an “abnormally dangerous” activity. “Therefore, if you find that the damage to the person or property of Karen Silkwood resulted from the operation of this plant — if that dam- ^,4 4 84^ H UNIVfUSITY SQUARE SHOPPING CINEMA DAILY 5:25 7:30 9:40 Ends Thur. SILVER STREAK GENE WILDER JILL CLAYBURG^ RICHARD PRYOR jPGlfw* tuemo mennw sag • CINEMA II Daily 5:30 7 :40 9:55 fhe\ < ould • if c' ,l ft' l <di d .ers.irv s if thvv *i irried to ea< (■ nth.- Ends Thur. ootSS Ellen Alan Burstyn ( Alda! [Same Time Next Tear ■ if' BB&L pays the maximum rate on 6-month Money Market Certificates. This week’s rate is 9.459% BB&L pays maximum interest on Money Market Certificates. No financial institution here — or in a metropolitan area — can pay you more ory 6-month Money Market Certificates. Call us today about a Money Market Certificate. It’s a 6-month investment for $10,000 or more paying maximum interest. Your savings institution Money Market Certificate rate is established weekly for the 6-month term of the certificate and is subject to change at renewal. Federal regulations impose a severe penalty for early withdrawal. Compound interest is prohibited by law. Main Office: Bryan 2800 Texas Ave. • 779-2800 age was caused by the escape of plutonium from that plant — then defendant Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corp. is liable,” Theis said. The judge said both parties agreed “that plutonium escaped from the custody of the Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation’s facility.” “You are further instructed that a verdict for both defendants must re sult if Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corp. has proved by a preponderance of the evidence that Silkwood inten tionally removed plutonium from the facility, and as a result, negli gently or intentionally contaminated herself. ” The Silkwood family is seeking $1.5 million in actual damages for alleged pain and suffering, injuries and property Kerr-McGee confis cated from Ms. Silkwood’s apart ment, and $70 million in punitive damages for Kerr-McGee’s alleged negligence. The suit originafiy sought $10 mil lion punitive damages, but Silkwood attorneys asked during the trial that the amount be raised. Theis did not rule on the motion to increase dam ages, but informed the jury of it. He said the jury was not limited by the damage request. Theis told the jurors they may consider whether Kerr-McGee sub stantially complied with government standards set forth by the Atomic Energy Commission, now known as the Nuclear Regulatory Commis sion. “Failure to comply with these standards may be considered by you as negligence,” and may be consid ered in a punitive damage assess ment, he said. “Compliance with such si does not necessarily mean I cannot occur for which liabuv be imposed,” Theis said. 9- Kerr-McGee has contended J<? rr y . * not negligent at its plutonk an '- ori ^ 1 7 because it complied withAEC selling $ lations. Carter agenda: SALT, oil taxes spawned « groups, 1 parole. Mitchel 14 months ? at the me formatory he could parole boa The par Gas crunch United Preis International WASHINGTON — President Carter Tuesday was steppingupii Mitchell’s already launched campaigns, to build support for the excess profitsj Plains hon on oil companies and for Senate ratification of the SALT 11 f| blind and limitation agreement. Ejpme to ra He scheduled an appearance at a White House meeting of comtj in^ the ea: nity and civic leaders to discuss the windfall profits tax, andwilllu , ‘The re the first of a series of dinner briefings for senators who will be k; Was the ler this summer on the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. Mitchell Public opinion polls continue to show the people support SAlIj needed to by two to one, but there still is considerable doubt about wk^ possession Carter can muster the necessary two-thirds majority needed fbr§.;, Jerry M nate ratification. Blling II An indefatigable fisherman. Carter ignored a steady drijfiighway F Monday to troll for bluefish for more than five hours in the chc^ Howell C< waters of the Atlantic off the Virginia coast. When he returned toi border, in White House the news media was uncharacteristically barred b *nother ch watching his arrival by helicopter. marijuana. Although deputy press secretary Rex Granum insisted the unn; |Judge V decision to keep reporters away was "capricious and abritrary,” soflm to 12 reporters concluded first lady Rosalynn Carter apparently object: with the 1 being photographed after spending hours in the wind and rain ganizatioi Marijuana reduced tl years. K It was Mitchell s; Brown to question Carter United Press International SACRAMENTO — With the gas shortage no better, and perhaps worse, in Southern California, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., prepared Tuesday to order some gas stations to remain open weekends, and then to fly to Washington to ask Presi dent Carter why California alone has such a serious problem. State officials backed away from earlier comments that the govern ment would call out the National Guard to enforce the weekend opening order if needed, and said the state would dip into emergency gasoline supplies. California and federal officials stepped up legal moves to head off a service-station shutdown threaten ed for Thursday through Sunday by dealers protesting federal profit controls. Other states reported a tightening gasoline supply, but none had situa tions comparable to California — especially car-dependent Southern California — where most stations remained closed or opened for only a few hours a day, drawing long lines. Brown planned to sign more emergency regulations in Los Angeles Tuesday and then fly to Washington to see Carter Wednes day morning. Brown said the presi dent had promised to tell why California drivers were suffering more than those elsewhere. “The people of California feel their backs are to the wall,” Brown said. “As their representative, I’m going to go back and talk to the pres ident and communicate very di rectly the seriousness of the prob lem.” The new Brown order extends the state’s odd-even gas sales rationing plan from vehicles to the gas stations themselves — requiring those with 'business licenses ending in an even digit to remain open Saturdays, and those with odd numbers to open Sundays. “The odd-even allocation plan depends on the availability of gasoline on a 7-day basis,” Brown said Monday, after a weekend in which more than 92 percent of Los Angeles area gas stations were closed, causing huge lines at pumps Friday and Monday. Similar lines were expected today \id since odd-numbered vehidm _ been unable to get fuel suiL f j Friday. Will A new regulation allovtiK cut the 20-gallon purchase hi T 10 gallons on weekends siaTTT ^ days. Gasoline retailers, deafen9 Unit finers, who met Monday A MIAMI chairman of the state Enerrl** with you mission Richard Maullin, wifilf er ing a tie opposition to the prcil 35 ’* word emergency regulations. Til v ' < ^ ,()ta P ec f ment was summarized byiw'. ^ or ida 1: (jl ar a clccilcri Hg’itten, so “You get us the productuj a P“PPl em€ will is read, Meyerson stay open. Youth reneges on Califano ojP®^ Capitol trip goes up in smoke United Press International HOUSTON — A teenager prom ised a trip to Washington by Health, Education and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano if she quit smoking for six months has decided she’d rather smoke than travel. “I could have quit for good, but I didn’t want to,” Shawn Galloway said. “It’s something to do with my hands. Anyway, I didn’t care about that trip to begin with. Shawn, 16, conceded, “I know it’s gonna hurt me, but then you only live once. You might as well live it good. Cigarettes keep me company when I’m bored. There’s nothii else better to do.” Califano, an ex-smoker, offered lere s nothing the videot; legal matte | “A lot of as a partin; At first she refused, kfalways wan hours later she decided to pjson, who try, complaining she was house vide cally forced into quitting”“Just th who wanted to accompan; would give Washington. his free-sp< Shawn, who said she pn to explain her habit again slowly bun said, back up to a pack a day, Still, he effort to quit benefited her by a client “It’s a good idea to quii%ritten will once in a while,” she said, able if a co me down. In fact, I’m fixing “It wou again.” basis of gen Califano was unavailaffo^d^tion comment on Shawn s folu^fheen foolei but a spokesman, John Pii®ryou can d he was disappointed butl_ eer ” Shawn the trip during a tour of prised in view of rec 60 * M e y erso Scarborough High School in Feb- showing teenage girls 125 for tin ruary. than boys. of the wil videotape s the trouble MSC Cafeteria MONDAY EVENING SPECIAL Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy Whipped Potatoes Your Choice of One Vegetable Roll or Corn Bread and Butter Coffee or Tea Now Better Than Ever. 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Used in m live-in agre Video ei $40,000, b jp this spring, Supei woma FRIDAY EVENING SPECIAL BREADED FISH FILET w/TARTAR SAUCE Cole Slaw Hush Puppies Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee SATURDAY NOON and EVENING SPECIAL Chicken & Dumplings Tossed Salad Choice of one vegetable Roll or Corn Bread & Butter Tea or Coffee (“Quality First”, Unit< BIRMI> Elaine Coll SUNDAY SPECIA1 NOON and EVEN* t"'“ uldn ROAST TURKEY DINNE tu £ k f f st v Served w.th to cut Cranberry Sauce fr ee the 19 Cornbread Dressing as the piec Roll or Corn Bread - Butte stuck to th< Coffee or Tea Giblet Gravy And your choice of i One vegetable kg- The doci j e g — cove •t would un a few days. Operation. % “It was a Sa id unami Ske shoulc
