Thursday, August 11, 1988TThe Battalion/Page 7
World and Nation
PA proposes treatment for water supply
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The En
vironmental Protection Agency took
steps Wednesday to reduce levels of
hazardous lead in the nation’s drink
ing water supplies by proposing that
water be treated at tens of thousands
of plants.
The proposed rules, which EPA
fficials said likely could require
[bout half the nation’s water supply
Demonstrators killed,
policemen beheaded
during Burma protests
. BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) —
Scores of demonstrators have been
filed during two days of anti-gov-
rnment protests in Burma, and ri-
ters beheaded three policemen
iVednesday in Rangoon, the official
Burmese radio reported.
It said 30 people were killed in
Rangoon street battles Wednesday,
ringing the officially reported
leath toll for the two days through-
ut the country to about 80. A mob
ttacked a police station in southern
wis'ii^Jurma, the radio added.
Unofficial reports said the death
ount may be well over 100 from
lashes between security forces and
generally unarmed students,
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systems — 53,000 — to treat water,
could prove expensive for those
served by small systems.
A few families could see their bills
rise as much as $367 a year.
Environmentalists had mixed re
actions to the proposal.
They lauded the plan to treat wa
ter supplies, but said EPA’s proposal
fails to ensure Americans will drink
lead-free water.
They also said it could contribute
to wasting precious water, and places
too heavy a burden on the con
sumer.
Lee M. Thomas, EPA’s adminis
trator, said the regulations will re
duce lead in the drinking water of
138 million Americans and “will be
especially beneficial to young chil
dren, who are at much greater risk
than adults.”
Concentrations of lead in the
blood have been associated with a va
riety of health problems.
Lead can impair mental ability in
children, cause premature births
and delay physical and mental devel
opment of babies.
In arhilt 1 ; it can interfere with
hearing and increase blood pres
sure, and, at high levels, cause kid
ney damage and anemia.
Under EPA’s proposal:
• Water plant operators would be
required to begin a corrosion control
program by treating water with cer
tain chemicals if water at the con
sumer’s tap has lead levels greater
than 10 parts per billion. The pro
gram also would be required for
acidic water.
Lead often enters water — partic
ularly acidic or corrosive water — af
ter it leaves the treatment plant but
before it reaches the consumer’s tap.
Acidity is an indicator of corrosive
water, which causes pipes to leach
lead before it reaches the tap.
Thomas said there is a “dramatic
reduction” in lead if the acidity of
the water is checked.
• If the average lead levels are
greater than 10 parts per billion, wa
ter suppliers must conduct a public
education program, which would in
clude helping consumers get their
water tested.
Some consumers might have to
pay to have lead pipes, which the
U.S. banned two year ago, replaced
in their homes. They also may have
to allow water to run from the tap
for a time before drinking.
• Water treatment plants would
have to reduce lead to a maximum
contaminant level of 5 parts per bil
lion. Lead in source water supplies is
less of a problem than lead collected
in pipes.
Buddhist monks and others de
manding the ouster of President
Sein Lwin and a return to democ
racy.
Rangoon radio has reported
about 160 wounded and 1,500 ar
rested in the two days. The capital
has been under martial law for a
week, a curfew was imposed Tues
day and gatherings of more than
five people are prohibited.
The demonstrations are by far the
largest since a coup by Ne Win
ended democracy in Burma in 1962.
Sein Lwin became president and
head of the government party last
month when Ne Win resigned after
26 years in power.
Senate opens debate on plan
to send aid to Contra rebels
WASHINGTON (AP) — A politi
cally divided Senate opened debate
Wednesday on a Democratic plan to
send humanitarian aid to Nicara
gua’s Contra rebels and open the
way for resumption of military assis
tance later this year.
Senate Majority Leader Robert C.
Byrd, D-W.Va., urged Republican
support for the proposal, with its
built-in guarantees against a filibus
ter, as the only approach that has a
chance of actually getting aid to the
Contras.
Byrd’s appeal came after Senate
leaders and White House officials
failed in dozens of private meetings
over, the past two weeks to reach a
broad bipartisan agreement on U.S.
policy toward Nicaragua.
“This approach keeps the options
open and on a fast track,” Byrd told
the Senate. “I hope my amendment
will receive bipartisan support and
send a signal to the Nicaraguan gov
ernment in the strongest possible
way.”
After failing to win agreement to
limit debate before a vote on his
plan, Byrd said he would, if nec
essary, cut short a long-scheduled
summer recess and reconvene the
Senate immediately after next
week’s Republcan National Conven
tion in New Orleans.
License tag
casts doubt
on shootings
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico
(AP) — The existence of a bullet-
riddled license plate could cast
even more doubt on the official
police version of the shootings of
a Juarez TV anchor and two oth
ers.
Manuel Gomez Martinez, hus
band of slain anchorman Linda
Bejarano, said he planned to pre
sent to a prosecutor the rear li
cense plate of the car in which he
and the three others were at
tacked July 23.
Bejarano; the car’s driver, Car
los Alfonso Garcia; and Gomez’
mother, Lucrecia Martinez, were
killed when police and their help
ers shot 46 bullets into the white
Chrysler New Yorker. Gomez
says he was in the front seat and
escaped injury by diving to the
car floor.
Police have said they mistook
Gomez’ car for a vehicle whose
occupants — suspected of being
drug traffickers — shot at police
south of Juarez two hours before.
One reason Gomez’ car was
mistaken for that of drug traf
fickers was that it had no rear li
cense plate, police said.
But Gomez’ lawyer insists that
the car did carry a license plate,
and that it shows bullet holes
from the police fusillade. Attor
ney Lorenzo Holguin Cisneros
said police removed the plate af
ter the shooting.
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