i
i
Wednesday, November 30,1988
The Battalion
Page 11
hurricane'
are you sure
ITS SAFE?
Safety concerns stall
weapon production
out of the 12 shift supervisors hold
degrees and the gap can be closed by
reassigning engineers from other
duties; ;
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
only U.S. plant that makes a critical
omponent of nuclear weapons
von’t be able to resume production
intil at least next spring or summer
)ecause of persistent safety con-
erns, Energy Secretary John S.
-lerrington said Tuesday.
Just last month, Energy Depart-
nent officials said their Savannah
liver Plant, near Aiken, S. C., would
)egin a phased restart of its K reac-
or in December, and that it could
esume production of tritium in Jan-
jary.
None of the three reactors at Sa
vannah River has produced weapons
naterial since last April.
“We are hoping to start (the K re
actor) in the spring, summer,” Her
rington said in an interview with the
Associated Press.
“We are not going to start up or
operate a reactor that we are not sat-
sfied is totally safe,” he said.
Since October, engineers with the
Energy Department and the operat-
ng contractor, the E.I. du Pont de
Nemours & Co., have been devel
oping much more stringent operat-
ngand safety criteria.
“I am satisfied with the progress. I
hink our start-up criteria, our mod-
fications and our upgrade are pro-
:eeding well,” he said. “I do not want
o put a predicted date on the start-
>.”
The three reactors at Savannah
liver are the only operational facili-
ies in the United States capable of
roducing two critical nuclear weap
ons materials, tritium and pluto-
lium.
Herrington has told Congress that
the United States is “awash” in pluto
nium.
Tritium decays at the rate of 5.5
percent per year and administration
and congressional sources say stock
piles will be depleted badly within six
months to two years, although the
exact numbers are classified.
Tritium, a radioactive isotope of
hydrogen, is used to boost the yield
of nuclear weapons.
Asked when tritium would be in
critical short supply, Herrington
said: “I think we are OK with spring
and summer.” He declined to give
an exact date.
Herrington listed these new safety
measures for Savannah River:
• Requiring the shift supervisor
to have an engineering degree. Offi-
cials at Savannah River say that nine
• Adding more technical support
on each shift;
• Using a five-shift rotation for
key operations workers, one more
shift than before, which would free
an entire shift for training at any
given time. This will double the
hours each shift spends per year on
a computer simulator;
• Completing seismic reviews and
modifications necessary to assure the
ability of safety systems to shut down
the reactor, remove decay heat and
monitor conditions;
• Increase Energy Department
headquarters oversight and approval
of key start-up procedures.
Economy survives
drought with ease;
inflation picks up
four games.
1 probably have
eek. I f you like toiif
this week’s game,
-scoring battle for
oring because the
imson fide defense
of the nation'stop
es haven't faced a
omas all year.
>d or Lance Pavlas
tred Bucky
ty have trouble dealii
of Thomas’ ability
to see if Pavlas or
rdvide the balanced
ng in the past two
Aggie defense. AiH
typical end to the
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id quarter of the
1 the second quarter
:rs).
ibama resorts to so®
ies. They’re goinglt
all on the ground
Bobby Humphrey,
arlyon withaninj
les one more
and the A&Mstudfl
tv for a national
Paper reports
LSD being sold
to Mexican kids
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Lawmak-
rs from the Federal District called
|or an investigation into reports that
quantities of the drug LSD are
teing sold to children, the govern-
ent newspaper El Nacionalsaid
Tuesday.
El Nacional said the Federal Dis-
rict assembly also called for harsher
tenalties in Mexico Qity for those
aught selling or importing the hal-
ucinogenic drug.
Mexico City newspapers regularly
tave carried reports that stamps and
atoos laced with LSD are being sold
:o children in local markets. The
itamps are printed with designs, of-
:en blue stars or cartoon characters
uch as Mickey Mouse, according to
:he news reports.
i hopes
srth
o Bowl
'I (AP) — Houston
back Warren Moon
arnes with a broto
; this season but he
9 quarterback ratiif
the AFC to Cincifr
Esiason going
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
economy shrugged off the summer
drought and grew at a respectable
2.6 percent annual rate in the July-
September period, but inflation
picked up, the government said
Tuesday.
The Commerce Department said
the performance of the gross na
tional product, the broadest mea
sure of economic health, slowed in
the third quarter after growing at an
annual rate of 3.0 percent in the sec
ond quarter and 3.4 percent in the
first three months of the year.
It was the slowest pace since the
fourth quarter of 1986, when the
economy grew at a sluggish 1.4 per-
’ cent rate.
However, the department said the
picture was distorted by the summer
drought that hit much of the nation.
Without the drought, growth would
have been 3.9 percent in the second
quarter and 3.2 percent in the third
quarter.
So far, a little less than half of the
$12.8 billion in drought losses have
been accounted for in the GNP.
They are likely to shave as much as
1.2 percent off the fourth quarter
average.
Higher prices accompanied the
growth. The government said a
price index tied to the GNP, which is
adjusted to exclude the effects of
changing buying patterns, rose at an
annual rate of 5.1 percent in the
third quarter, edging up from 5.0
percent in the second quarter. It was
the steepest increase in more than
six years.
The growth figure and the price
index represent revisions from an
advance estimate last month, when
GNP was reported at a 2.2 percent
rate and the price index at 4.9 per
cent.
In other economic developments:
•The Commerce Department re
ported that after-tax corporate prof
its in the third quarter were nearly
flat. They rose only 0.2 percent to
$163.1 billion, following an excep
tionally large increase of 8.9 percent
a quarter earlier. It was corporate
America’s poorest performance
since a loss in the fourth quarter of
1987.
•The Agriculture Department
predicted food prices would rise by 3
percent to 5 percent next year, after
rising about 4 percent this year. The
forecast came from James R. Don
ald, chairman of the department’s
World Agricultural Outlook Board.
At the White House, spokesman
Marlin Fitzwater said the latest GNP
report does not change “the basic
economic picture” of moderate
growth and steady inflation.
“Inflation remains at about the
second-quarter rate,” he said. “After
. . . the drought, the economy con
tinues to grow at its long-term aver
age pace, which is 2 to 3 percent.”
Bush seeks quick approval
of cabinet picks from Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi-
lent-elect George Bush told Senate
lepublican leaders Tuesday he will
eek speedy confirmation of his Cab-
net, perhaps with hearings begin-
ting even before he takes office on
an. 20.
Bush also told the GOP senators
ie hopes any “honeymoon period”
vith Congress can yield a federal
>udget compromise, according to
)artici pants in a private get-ac-
[uainted meeting at the Capitol.
! Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., said
ae-tuned and hopr |h e president-elect indicated he
g the Pro Bowl 1# Wanted to meet with “a bipartisan
f ;roup to discuss his thoughts” be-
ore submitting a budget outline of
his own.
~ - J However, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-
e in the Astrodotf Ifexas, chairman of the Senate Fi-
:tsburgh Steelers, la nce Committee and the 1988
e an honor to gob gpemocratic vice presidential candi-
picked by yo* 1 date, said Bush “should not be in the
said. “I think a I® position of not sending; any budget
11 look at (Buffalo 1 Lp.”
“This will be his first test of lead
ership,” Bentsen said. “He has to
before the votinf show what he believes in — national
ecause of Buffalo'
I have a couple o;
'e a chance.”
d Kelly are t
petition for a s
lefense, Medicare, revenues? He
tas to speak to the principal points
Bowl team, selectf'-
NFL players arf
12-13.
ered a broken s«'
ight shoulder in tl*
r against Indiana^
1 five games,
gained form and' 11
has completed M-
s passes and thro"' 1
is.
hink missing
ing to hurt
Coach June Jot"'
it would hurtiW
six touchdowns, b«i
a there among tit
AFC.”
has played the eo
ns a 78.9 rating. Ht'
.7 per cent of li>
rown 12 touchdo" 1
has 15 interceptor. 1
Moon’s four,
seen Kelly this sei-
m’t know how any
be better than out
Jerry Glanvillesail
:rves it.”
of the budget. That’s part of the
price of leadership. They just won
an election. It’s theirs to call.”
Republican senators said the vice
president indicated during their
meeting that he would take up the
matter of early confirmations with
the Senate’s newly chosen majority
leader, George Mitchell of Maine.
Bush called Mitchell to congratulate
him shortly after Tuesday’s secret-
ballot election among Senate Demo
crats.
In 1981, the Senate, then con
trolled by the Republicans, voted
confirmation of key appointments of
President Reagan’s within hours of
his inauguration. Democrats now
have a majority in the Senate.
“It would be important to his ad
ministration if he could have early
action on confirmation, particularly
with some of the key people like
(James) Baker,” Bush’s choice for
secretary of state, Sen. Thad Coch
ran, R-Miss, said.
Cochran said that, if Democrats
went along, confirmation hearings
could be held on Bush’s nominations
before they are formally submitted.
“The Congress does come into
session on Jan.3, we could do some
work between then and the inaugu
ration,” Cochran said.
He said that Bush indicated he
would like the Senate to “expedite
the hearings and consideration of
those nominees to those Cabinet po
sitions so that when the president is
inaugurated, they started to work
right away, with the Cabinet in
place.”
Three members of Reagan’s Cab
inet that Bush has indicated he will
retain — Attorney General Dick
Thornburgh, Education Secretary
Lauro F. Cavazos and Treasury Sec
retary Nicholas Brady — do not re
quire re-confirmation by the Senate.
In other developments Tuesday:
• Aides to defeated Democratic
rival Michael Dukakis and Democrat
Jesse Jackson said the . two men
would meet this week with Bush.
• A source close to the Bush tran
sition, speaking on the condition of
anonymity, said a decision by Bush
on defense secretary could come by
Wednesday. The source said Bush
still favors former Sen. John Tower
of Texas.
Santa Shop!!!
Come shop with us!
Wed., November 30-Thurs., December
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Rudder Exhibit Hall
Ho Ho Hospitality! 4r
INEMA/
Presents
An oddly haunting version
of Bradbury's cynically pro
phetic vision of a society
where books are outlawed
and firemen start fires
rather than putting them
out.
From the world-
famed novel by
Ray Bradbury
fahrenheit
Wednesday
November 30
701 Rudder
7:00 PM
LESS THAN
3750
CHANCES
LEFT
TO CHANGE
THE
WORLD
Not everyone is cut out to change the world. After all,
it takes education, skills and a spare two years.
Also a willingness to work. Hard.
This year 3,750 Americans will join the Peace Corps to
do just that. They'll do things like build roads, plant forests
and crops, teach English, develop small businesses, train com
munity health workers, or even coach basketball. However,
what they'll be doing isn't half as important as the fact that
they'll be changing a little piece of the world.. .for the better.
And when they return, these 3,750 Americans will find
that experience doing hard work will have another benefit.
It's exactly what their next employers are looking for.
So, give the Peace Corps your next two years. And
while you're out changing the world, you'll also be making
a place in it for yourself.
Peace Corps representatives will be on campus to talk
about opportunities for Volunteer service: BA/BS candi
dates can qualify for many generalist programs. Pres
ently, Peace Corps has an URGENT NEED for Volun
teers with majors, courework, or experience in
AGRICULTURE and FISHERIES.
To learn more about how your skills can change the
world, plan to stop by or call:
1-800-527-9216 EXT 124
INFO TABLE
FILM SEMINAR
Tues, Weds, Thurs Tues, Weds
November 29, 30, Dec 1 6:30 pm
8:00 - 5:00 November 29
Ground Floor Rudder Tower, #607
Memorial Center M ovember 30
Rudder Tower, #410
INTERVIEWS
Thursday
December 1
Career Planning
& Placement
Please pick up appli
cation prior to interview
PEACE CORPS
STiLLTHE TOUGHEST JOB YOULL EVER LOVE.
Plant your ad in The Battalion Classified
and harvest the RESULTS!
Phone 845-2611
for help in
placing your ad.