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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 1983)
Wednesday, June 15, 1983/The Battalion/Page 3 r ew place for Old Ags Former students moving by Robert McGlohon Battalion Staff Flans for the recently approved office building for the Texas A&M Association of Former Students are still uncertain, but association President A.W. “Head” Davis iys it’s a “strong maybe” that the building will be completed by the end of 1984. H The association plans to hire an architect in August and “kick the plans around until the first of the year,” Davis said Tuesday. He added that construction on the land atjthe intersection between Buston Street and Jersey Street will start soon after that and be completed by the end ■ 1984 or early 1985. ■While the idea to move to a Bv building has been discus sed seriously by the former students for the past few years, “casual words” ol such a building go as far back as 1908, Davis said. 1 le said the words became less casual about three years ago when it became clear that, because of the increasing size of the association, the offices in the Forsyth Alumni Center in the Memorial Student Cen ter were becoming too small. Davis said it came down to three choices: enlarge the Forsyth Alumni Center, cur tail the activities of the associa tion, or move to a new build ing. The association decided that moving was the best choice. University officials and the Texas A&M Board of Regents approved the project with lav ish praise. “Without question, Texas A&M is blessed with the sup port of the finest alumni asso ciation in the world,” Dr. Frank E. Vandiver, president of Texas A&M, said. “And we are delighted to cooperate in helping accomodate the Asso ciation of Former Students in the manner it deems most appropriate.” The Board of Regents also praised the association with a resolution citing its contribu tions to Texas A&M. Howev er, the board did not have the last word on the project. The '50-year ground lease it approved was subject to legis lative approval. The board is legally prohi bited from disposing of land on the main University cam pus, Davis said. He defined the main campus as being roughly the area bounded by Texas Avenue, Wellborn Road, Jersey Street and Uni versity Drive. He explained that because the Texas attorney general has ruled that a long-term lease is tantamount to dispos ing of the land, the association needed the Legislature’s approval as well as the board’s. Sen. Kent Caperton and Rep. Bill Presnal sponsored the legislation. The legislation, which has been signed into law by Gov. Mark White, allows the Asso ciation of Former Students to lease three to five acres of land for 50 years with an option for renewal, Davis said. The asso ciation will use its funds to build the 20,000 to 30,000 square foot edifice, he said, adding that no University money will be used and that the rent is for the land only. Dioxin victims suing chemical manufacturers United Press International NEWARK, N.J. — Fearful re sidents, injured workers and concerned merchants have banded together in a class action seeking damages from present and past owners of a Newark herbicide manufacturing site contaminated by dioxin, pri marily Diamond Shamrock of Dallas. The complaint was filed Monday in Essex County Super ior Court as federal Environ mental Protection Agency offi cials prepared to launch an ex tensive sampling program to pinpoint the extent of contami nation within 2,500 feet of the sight. EPA officials Tuesday will begin to collect the first of at least 300 samples from various area locations. Between 1958 and 1978, the suit charged, various herbicide manufacturers “knowingly, will fully, wantonly, recklessly or negligently released dioxin” into the surrounding area. Among the 11 plaintiffs are two former employees of the de funct Diamond Alkali Co. Aldo Andreini, of Elizabeth, N.J., and Ralph Lamoreaux, of Hunlock Creek, Pa., both for mer Diamond employees, charged they suffered perma nent physical injury from expo sure to dioxin. The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages for the plaintiffs and members of the various classes they repre sent, lawyers said. In addition to actual or poten tial physical harm, the plaintiffs contend they suffered “mental and emotional dist ress” and eco nomic hardship by the loss of business and depreciation of commercial and residential property values. On June 2, Gov. Thomas Kean disclosed that dioxin in the soil at the Diamond site was found in amounts greater than those at Times Beach, Mo. The key defendant named was Diamond Shamrock Corp. of Dallas, which merged with Diamond Alkali in 1967 when the plant was producing the Vietnam War defoliant Agent Orange and the “ultrahazar- dous” by-product dioxin. iongressmen still behind MTA I United Press International HOUSTON — Several Hous- . in-area members of Congress Dwtd to continue pursuing fed- II funds for the Metropolitan Brsit Authority, even if the itiztns of the area say they do n ’ .“’ all |twant a heavy rail system. drlinpon*Th e election was a pretty iat T T eai message to Congress that s Angelcvfle is not a consensus among time; [atistonians about tbe plan tle- i UniveuB by MTA,” Rep. Mike rs ity 0 fSo'B revvs > D-Texas said Mon- ay. “I will continue to work nn % mB the delegation to gain ; Bs for the system that Hous- ^ropfms support.” r. Henas»o ter s soundly defeated a re- become jrendum Saturday which would have used $2.35 billion to build a heavy rail transit system while upgrading the present bus sytem. ^ Reps. Mickey Leland, a Democrat and Bill Archer, a Re publican, both from the Hous ton area, said they will continue to lobby for federal money for Houson’s transportation prob lems. Metro officials said they do not know what is next. “We have to find out first why the bond referendum failed and then come up with a new plan,” said Metro spokeswoman Janet Redeker. “The voters did not want what we had. We will be regrouping now and come up with something else.” Federal funds amounting to about $110 million tentatively earmarked for the proposed Metro rail sys tem now are in question. But Rep. Jack Fields, R- Texas, said he will recommend dropping the federal funds re el nest. “As of now I am going to cease my activity in trying to get tax dollars back to Houston (for the transit plan),” said Fields, who has been one of the most active members of the area’s congres sional delegation in seeking funding. Although Fields has been trying to secure the federal dol lars, he has never endorsed the plan. Metro already spent about $30 million in studies and en gineering costs, but Redeker said that money has not been wasted. But Houston city Councilman John Coodner, chairman of the city’s Traffic and Transporta tion task force and the leading opponent to the proposed rail system, said the transit authority must set up new guidelines for improving bus service in the city and increasing the maintenance facilities. “We can accelerate some of these projects,” Coodner said, listing increased bus lines, over head bus lanes and possibly a light rail or trolley system. 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