The Battalion
V IE WPOINT
A&M dumping responsibility
for community waste disposal
It isn’t easy getting separate governmen
tal agencies to work together. Each agency
has its own interests to pursue and protect
and sometimes they are reluctant to try new
and/or different things.
This is partially the case with the prop
osed feasibility and site studies for a waste
recovery facility in Brazos County. The
three government entities involved are
Bryan, College Station and Texas A&M
University.
But, by refusing to commit the Universi
ty for a site study that would cost it $3,000,
University officials have failed to take a re
sponsible role in this area.
If nothing else, this is good faith money
to show an honest desire to see something
as important and useful as a waste recovery
facility in Brazos County.
The recovery facility. College Station
City Manager North Bardell said, would
require 150 to 200 tons of garbage a day to
be economically feasible.
But without the University, this would
be impossible. Thus, by declining support.
University officials have jeopardized the
project for others concerned and forced
them to continue disposing of waste in land
fills. Not only are landfills useless for any
thing but disposing of waste, but they re
quire daily monitoring for health and safety
hazards.
And for a (jualified engineer to take the
soil and clay samples at the site daily and for
lab technicians to get the results costs the
city about $20,000 a year.
In contrast, the proposed waste recovery
facility woidd allow the three governmental
entities a means of reducing what goes into
existing landfills by 85 percent, and it could
produce steam — steam which the Univer
sity could use to heat and cool buildings on
the west campus.
The steam could also be sold to industrial
markets, which means the system would be
able to supply the agencies with an asset
instead of a deficit. However, the studies
would determine if industrial markets,
other than the University, exist for the
steam, Bardell said.
The Bryan and College Station city coun
cils, on Nov. 23, approved participation in
the $9,0(X) site study, with the understand
ing that the University also would partici
pate. If a suitable site is selected, the three
entities then would decide whether to par
ticipate in the $50,000 feasibility study.
But, as it stands now, the University is
not participating. As is typical with
bureaucracies, everything is channeled
from the bottom upward. If someone on a
lower level doesn’t want to burden the “big
guys” at the top with an idea or project plan,
it just stops.
Such is the case with the site study and
the University.
However, University Vice President for
Business Affairs Howard Vestal said if the
cities come up with a site suitable to the
University, he then reserves the right for
the University to participate in the feasibil
ity study.
But, finding a suitable site seems unlike
ly, since Bardell says the site study will
probably die without the support of the
University.
There is no point in Bryan and College
Station paying for either of the studies if the
University isn’t willing to participate.
College Station Mayor Gary Halter said
waste recovery facilities have failed in other
parts of the country because enough gar
bage couldn’t be generated to supply the
facility and/or there were no industrial mar
kets for the steam.
But, Bryan-College Station probably
will never know because the University
won’t act responsibly in respect to the com
munities’ needs. Texas A&M has every
thing to gain and only $3,000 to lose by
participating in the site study. It’s worth the
risk.
It s your turn
Aggie Christmas too hot
for Yankee
Editor:
I love the chimes of the MSC.
They send me off in sweet reverie.
To Christmas, and home, and holidays
I’ve gone away, as I sit in a daze.
In his usual way, my prof rambles on,
But the sound of the chimes — and my
mind is gone.
He’s talking of vectors and lines parallel,
but my ears strain for the sound of the bell.
At last ... class over ... I walk outside,
my mind all a-spin with Noel and Yuletide.
But then what to wondering eyes should
appear?
No, not Santa, nor even one tiny reindeer.
Not icicles, sleighbells nor snow,
Not Frosty the Snowman, but no.
It’s hot and sunny, and birds are singing.
While over the bells “White Christmas” is
ringing.
That “Winter-wonderland” sounds great.
But seems that winter won’t come this
state.
The tunes tell of Jack Frost, and chestnuts
roasting.
But at eighty degrees it’s me that’s toasting.
The song tells me that I’d better not frown
‘Cause Santa Claus soon will be coming to
town.
But I cringe at the thought — it’s this I have
feared.
That Santa — in red woolen suit and a beard
While flying down here on his generous
quest.
Might suffer heat-stroke and go to his rest.
Please don’t mistake what I mean to say;
Christmas itself is a wonderful day.
Christ is more precious than all that’s on
earth,
and I love celebrating the day of His birth.
I like the carols — the things that they say,
Of peace, angels, family, and Christmas
day.
But this summer weather has just got to go.
I want frost on the window, cold winds, and
snow.
Could be the Yankee blood that flows
through my veins,
But some things don’t seem right with those
Christmas refrains.
Somehow in my mind, shorts, T-shirts and
thongs
Don’t seem proper attire with these wintry
songs.
My cheeks should be rosy from air crisp and
chilly,
A sunburn in December just seems rather
silly.
If you native Texans don’t agree with my
poem,
Don’t write to the Batt, saying “Yankee go
home”
When finals are over I’ll split this South
Texas scene
With its hot blazing sun, and grass strangely
green
Now I’ll just “sweat it out,” and wait in
disgust
Soon I’ll take to the road — “North Dakota,
or Bust.”
Homesick Aggie
Memories of
Christmas
Editor:
Here it is, Christmas time again. Time
for those last minute tests that all your
teachers are giving. And don’t forget finals
— you remember — the ones you’re count
ing on to bring your grades up. Also, have
you decided what to get your roommate for
Christmas? Not much you can buy for
under three dollars these days.
You just don’t have any reason to feel
very joyous, do you? Well, forget about all
your problems for a moment and think back
to your very best Christmas ever. Perhaps
one of the reasons we don’t appreciate the
holiday is because we have yet to learn the
secret of capturing that special magic of
Christmas past.
It’s so easy to overlook the pleasures of
the Yuletide season, especially at college.
Remember the last time you went caroling?
Only one young couple came to the door;
yet did you notice the small face peeping
out of the window across the street? I bet
you missed the way his eyes lit up as he
recognized the songs, or the way he sang
along when you sang “Silent Night.”
And can you recall the Christmas that
your sister said there wasn’t a Santa Claus?
You stayed awake as long as you could just
to prove her wrong; but you went to sleep
with a smile on you face because you had
heard the distant sound of sleighbells and
the whisper of a sled as it flew across the
sky.
Or what about the first time you heard
the Christmas story? Do you remember the
way you imagined that you were in the
stable with Mary and Joseph? You could
almost hear the angels singing to the new
born baby. Think back to how awed you
were when they retold how the wisemen
came bringing gifts from afar. You weren’t
sure exactly what frankincense was, but it
sure sounded awfully impressive.
Maybe it isn’t so hard to capture the
Christmas spirit after all. It should be a time
of joy, not of misgiving. So the next time
you start to lose the special feeling, put on
one of your old Christmas albums, prop
your feet up, and remember ...
Kathleen O’Reilly ‘85
Briggs Hall
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30
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — By coincidence, the
Reagan administration’s first arms limita
tion talks with the Soviets began in Geneva
at a time the president was locked in a
budget battle with Congress back home.
One point of dispute in the latter nego
tiations concerns a proposed ceiling on the
number of continuing resolutions with
which Congress could bombard the White
House during a given fiscal year.
It is the basic White House position that
Congress is committed to the large
“budget-busting” types of resolutions that
carry heavy payloads and can blast huge
holes in federal frugality.
To neutralize these resolutions, the
White House proposes to deploy a compa
rable number of RR veto warheads that are
relatively override-proof.
Meanwhile, Congress, for its part, insists
the shutdown threat to non-essential gov
ernment programs also must be removed
before there can be true parity.
As you can see, the flash points are ex
tremely complicated, but I shall try to sim
plify them with this clarifying catechism:
Q. Why are the legislative pieces in
volved in the talks called “continuing re
solutions?”
A. Because they continue to test whether
the president is more resolved than Con
gress.
Q. When will the next test occur?
A. The next test is scheduled for Dec. 15.
That is when the continuing resolution pas
sed Nov. 22 to replace the one passed Nov.
20, which replaced the one passed Sept. 30,
expires.
Q. How did we get into
anyhow?
A. If the fiscal year ends before!
lar appropriation bills areapprovi
pened Sept. 30, then a continuini
tion is passed to make stopgap if
available.
p.m. a
ipe.
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icetin at 6
30 p.m.
<G: Mod
Q. Why weren’t the regular a
tion bills passed in time?
A. Next question.
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ristmas
ERSE)
uistn
Q. Wasn’t Congress aware t
year would end Sept. 30?
A. Actually, there were pra
long ago as last January thatthefi
would end Sept. 30. However/
tends to put such predictions in
with long range weather fort
warnings that the world is conn:]
end.
pain.
Q. Is there anything sacred
Sept. 30 date?
A. Not at all. The fiscal yearusi
on June 30. However, Congressw
by surprise so many times that
hit upon the idea of providing tin
months in which to get ready for
year.
USII S3
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Q. Doesn’t the new fiscal yearst]
unexpectedly?
A. Many times, yes. Thenextsl
be to negotiate a new closing d|
would end the fiscal year on Dec.|
feeling is that with all the hornsa
hats and people singing “Auld 1
and everything, the lawgiversc
but notice that the new fiscal)
sneaking up on them.
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)1981 King Features Syndicate. Inc. World rights reserved
The Battalion
USPS 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Angelique Copeland
Managing Editor Marcy Boyce
City Editor Jane G. Brust
Asst. City Editor Kathy O'Connell
Photo Editor DaveEinsel
Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy
Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff
Asst. Focus Editor Debliie Nelson
News Editors Phyllis Henderson
Bernie Fette, Belinda McCoy
Diana Sultenfuss
Staff Writers Gary Barker
Frank L. Christlieb, Randy Clements
Gaye Denley, Nancy Floeck, Tim Foarde
Colette Hutchings, Daniel Puckett
Denise Richter, Mary Jo Rummel, Rick Stolle
Nancy Weatherley, Barbie Woelfel
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr.
Photographers Brian Tate
Daniel Sanders, Colin Valentine
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Regents. ' m
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