Page 4/The Battalion/Wednesday, March 5, 1986
Proposed EPA asbestos ban will require water tei f es
By OLIVIER UYTTEBROUCK
Reporter
The proposed Environmental Protection
Agency prohibition on asbestos-cement
pipe and other asbestos products will re
quire water districts to test for asbestos fib
ers in drinking water, an EPA official says.
However, this requirement, which was
announced last month, will probably not
take effect for at least a year, says Mark Mc-
Casland, an environmental engineer in the
EPA’s Dallas office.
David Simmons, manager of Bryan’s wa
ter and wastewater department, says asbes
tos-cement pipe accounts for 30 percent of
Bryan’s 400 miles of water mains.
Benny Luedke, College Station water
and sewer department superintendent, says
that asbestos-cement pipes have been in
widespread use in College Station for over
30 years.
The EPA proposal sets a recommended
maximum contaminant level for drinking
water at 7.1 million asbestos fibers per liter.
but since this is only a recomended level, no
actual testing is required yet, McCasland
says.
McCasland says the proposed ban is
largely in response to health risks posed to
asbestos industry employees.
The proposed EPA prohibition would
ban the manufacture and distribution of a
number of asbestos products including as
bestos-cement pipe but would allow the
continued use of asbestos-cement pipe al
ready in place as well as existing stockpiles
of the pipe, McCasland says.
Asbestos-cement pipe accounts
for 30 percent of Bryan’s 400
miles of water mains.
— David Simmons, manager of
Bryan’s water and wastewater
department.
College Station, says although asbestos is
not specifically tested for in drinking water
here, it would be apparent in the bacterio-
Ibgical tests performed each month by the
Department of Health.
Cor
However, biologist Tom Bricker with the
Department of Health in Austin says sam
ples submitted for biological analysis are
generally not observed under an electron
microscope, which is necessary to detect as
bestos fibers.
ATHERINI
ZINGE
Reporte
The EPA plans to hold public hearings to
determine how quickly the prohibition will
be implemented, McCasland says.
Currently, water supplies are not being
tested for asbestos by the EPA, the Texas
Department of Health or municipal water
departments.
Concern has risen in recent years that in
areas with some combination of soft, acidic
and alkaline water, the inner cement lining
of asbestos-cement pipe may corrode, ex
posing drinking water directly to asbestos
and admitting asbestos fibers into the water
supply.
But Texas A&M chemistry professor.
Rod O’Connor, says recent tests show that
water in the Bryan-College Station area
tends to be slightly hard and slightly basic.
He says he doubts that water in this area is
corrosive.
Hard water is defined as water con
taining high concentrations of calcium and
magnesium.
David Pullen, an engineer with the city of
“Unless we were testing specifically for
asbestos, we wouldn’t know if and how
much was there,” Bricker says.
The method for analyzing water for as
bestos fibers outlined in a 1980 EPA report
involves filtering water through a fine
membrane and observing the collected
material by electron microscope at 20,000x
magnification.
According to EPA studies, asbestos also
can be released into the water supply when
asbestos-cement pipes are brokenor
into.
Simmons says that ground move
due to moisture in the soil often»f
asbestos-cement pipe to snap.
McCasland says the greatest release
bestos into drinking water occurs who
and taps are made into new orexistuTp^puters seem
lines. Ml facets of life i
Concentrations of asbestos Id ^ even into studyii
higher than normal have persisted it 0 b prall of Colle
mv; watei foi weeks a I iei taps havtM e cl a computer
made in asbestos cement pipe, accont se (l free to help si
one EPA study. [elsaid he deckf
mm to help his
McCasland savs that usually afterctni-pass, no-play
made in asbestos-cement pipe, tb e ep his son from
flushed out several times before itis| &M Consolidatec
the lines that supply the public. Mvondered what
In College Station. pip« art (liil; l0 . !t e JP
alto nins arc ina.I.-„> |,!cv e m Pralha
beinir U-udd says. Howl arted as V 1 "
tnonitoi ,nvd,e<
feet kept growing
government agencie
made, he says.
Contributor names to be
on Capitol monument
AUSTIN — Texas House
Speaker Gib Lewis on Tuesday
helped unveil a miniature of the
$2 million Sesquicentennial mon
ument that will be placed on the
Capitol ground.
The 20-ton bronze monument
is 37 feet long, 17 feet high and is
titled “Texas Legacy.” It was com
missioned by the 1985 Legis
lature but will be paid for by a
fund drive sponsored by the
Texas Historical Foundation
along with the American Masters
Foundation of Houston.
The monument depicts two
cowboys on horseback herding
five Longhorn steers and a heifer
across a section of railroad track.
All contributors of $25,000 or
more will have their names en
graved on the base of the mon
ument.
In addition, Lurie said, anyone
contributing $25,000 or more will
be eligible for a drawing and the
winner’s likeness, or anyone he
chooses if they are male, will be
used for one of the two cowboy
faces.
New child restraint law deemed successful
Mil said he desi
id be run withou
||omputer know!
H set up so a pt
By KAREN BOEHNKE
Reporter
tor of the Safe Riders Program at the
Texas Department of Health.
cidents could be pn
straints were used.
vented if re-
Twenty infants have been saved
from death in car accidents since the
Texas Child Passenger Safety Law
went into effect last year, according
to statistics from the Texas Depart
ment of Health.
The law requires that children un
der 2 ride in approved safety seats
and that children from 2 to 4 be in
safety seats or seat belts.
During a nine-month period in
1984, 63 children aged 4 and under
were killed in wrecks. Last year the
count was 43, a 31 percent decrease.
Of that 43, only five were in safety
seats, said Carolyn Evans, coordina-
Evans said the decline wasn’t a
surprise.
“Other states that had the law be
fore Texas saw similar decreases,”
Evans said. “What is really striking
about the statistics is that not only
are we seeing a decline in deaths, we
are proving a major reason for that
decline is the use of safety seats.”
Evans said traffic accidents are the
number one cause of death for chil
dren under 4.
According to the department, as
many as 90 percent of deaths and 85
percent of injuries to children in ac-
Sgt. Choya Wallen of the Bryan
Police Department said many par
ents aren’t using the seals properly.
Often parents will put their chil
dren in safety seats out not strap
them with seat belts, she said. This is
not only against the law but danger
ous, she said.
Anita Pitt, coordinator of the
Community Occupant Protection
Program for the Brazos Valley De
velopment Council, said parents
who don’t comply with the law gen
erally do so mainly out of habit.
To combat this neglect, the pro
gram tries to educate the public
CHIMNEY HILL BOWLING CENTER
40 LANES
League & Open Bowling
Family Entertainment
Bar & Snack Bar
701 University Dr E 260-9184
BOTHER’S
Kons or notes t
through demonstrations of tthen be testedo
use. Put said '^ ea
Mard theory,” P
A violation of the law mavmmeans learnin
in a S25-S50 fine for liraoffoMequestionscai
1 he fine may be refun(iedif; |different orde
latoi shows proof of getting Juo the person f
seat within lOdays. Meanswersare
one to five — on
Wallen said that five r jmation was k
were issued locally in JanuanMing all knowle
that one was dismissed bec:y|question was kn
Me program ca
Iscore and store
The law is not as strict astrIg.
. pis allows the
all persons intents in lean
eat belt oraiMo 1 only can
iial, but you c;
nd,” Prall said.
For example, Pi
violator bought a safety seat.
»thei
not as stnet astl
states. For example, N«l
aw require:
I I to use a
BOOKSTORES
Announces their Third Annual
MMmMTHE
MdumN
A World Wide Pictures release in color
Featuring BILLY GRAHAM with a message of hope.
SCHULMAN 6
7:20 9:35
MIDNIGHT MADNESS SALE
March 6 4p m - 10pm
The followin
fxvrted to the
Isity Polic
tmgh Monda
MISDEMEA
« Two SI00
k . a backpacl
llsnng ftuMun
• An empty
' tainer was
of a 1978
sxk parked in
* Seven bic
on campu
BURGLARY
ION:
ll About $12
ce separate
CASH
for gold, silver,
old coins, diamonds
Full Jewelry Repair
Large Stock of
Diamonds
Gold Chains
TEXAS COIN
EXCHANGE
404 University Dr.
846-8916
3202-A Texas Ave.
(across from El Chico,Bryan)
779-7662
Thursday
Alt S ^
,»w
5 * Two pistols
|m 10.
CRIMINAL
* A resident
tted that a
bm and asked
oft drink. V
I to give
man atte
holder,
5 abte to gral
i to wrest t
av. but the
abed.T
I the room.'
'C°
arges.
lapai
'’ey ^
Assoc
AUSTIN —
Jtpanese-based
|ial estate projt
’ be recruitii
thants to help
iillion office bi
the
BATT
HALF-PRICE SAi e
HALF PPICe '
SWEATS
9*
A delegation
ho-headquarti
I ruction Co. ;
makes you
BUCKS
SAL£ AT
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(.OCAT'ONS
340 JerseV ( j ri iv^ r sity Poll 06
Across fr °
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901 Harvey
Woodstone Center
764-3969
Battalion
Advertising
845-2611
POTHER’S BOOKSTORE WOODSTONE
giant parking lot sale
FRIDAV