State & Local
[page 2
The Battalion
Officials allocate funds for dump
AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Dis
posal Authority on Monday au-
thorized spending abbut $900,000
lo buy a West Texas ranch that
.jlc: become home to a low-level
luelear waste dump.
* ’o authority's board also vot
ed to conduct extensive studies at
an 1,800-acre site on the approxi
mately 16,000-acre Faskin Ranch
in Hudspeth County for possible
location of the dump.
Rick Jacobi, general manager of
the authority, said that officials
hope to quickly conclude pur
chase negotiations with the ranch
owner. Statewide Capital of Hous
ton.
Further board action would be
required to finally designate the
proposed dump location, which is
off of Interstate 10 about seven
miles southeast of Sierra Blanca
Board purchases West Texas
ranch for nuclear waste site
and 90 miles southeast of El Paso.
There will be a Hudspeth County
public hearing, likely in April, be
fore the board makes a final site
designation.
Because a Texas Water Com
mission license is required to
build the dump, the board also
voted to submit an application to
the commission with an applica
tion fee of $415,000.
Jacobi said that the Water Com
mission must conduct an adminis
trative review to make sure the li
cense application is complete.
The commission probably will
not formally accept the applica
tion until May, he said, and the
authority's staff said the commis
sion likely will not decide on a li
cense until June 1995.
Environmentalists and Hud
speth County residents protested
the board action. Some said the
process was moving too fast, since
a number of site studies have yet
to be done, and without proper
public input. They also expressed
concerns about environmental
safety.
"I'm very dismayed and up
set," said Bill Addington of Alert
Citizens for Environmental Safety
in Hudspeth County.
He said after the board action,
"We're concerned with it (the
dump) being placed anywhere in
Hudspeth County or the West
Texas region. We are concerned
with it being placed anywhere in
Texas." He said that it means
more waste will be transported on
state roads, increasing accident
chances.
A prominent Mexican environ
mental organization called the
Group of 100 said the planned
dump violates the spirit of inter
national agreements to protect the
border environment.
Board Chairman Milton Guib-
erteau of Houston said, "We're
not trying to contaminate West
Texas. We're basically trying to
provide a safe method for disposal
where waste can be regulated,
rather than being stored in multi
ple unregulated sites throughout
the state.
Open adoption includes birth mothers
Editor's note: This is the second in
a five-part series in The Battalion on
adoption in Texas and how it has
changed over the years. Today's arti
cle focuses on
By Jayme Blaschke
The Battalion
When closed adoptions were
commonplace, the birth mother
was often a shadowy threat to the
adoptive parents, but as adoptions
have opened, her role has expand
ed beyond the birth.
Marya Brieg became preg
nant in 1969. Because the father
denied responsibility and she al
ready had a two-year-old daugh
ter to support, she made the deci
sion to place her second child up
for adoption through DePelchin
Children's Center in Houston.
"The hospital put a sheet up at
the birth, so I couldn't tell if my
baby was a girl or a boy — I never
got to see it," she said. "They told
me nothing, not even if it lived.
Once I signed the final papers, I
was told not to try to find out any
thing about the baby, and to never
contact the agency again. No con
tact, ever."
The DePelchin of today is radi
cally different from the one Brieg
dealt with 20 years ago. Not only
do they offer extensive counsel
ing, but the birth mother is al
lowed much more control over the
actual placement of the child.
Melinda Perry, director of post
adoption at DePelchin, said al
though the center still does not of
fer totally open adoptions, the
birth mother is supplied with
much more information about the
adoptive family, and vice versa.
"Many years ago these women
were told to go away, and they
find it hard to come back and ask
'Was he placed?' " Perry said.
"Openness is healthier. The birth
mother is more secure with her
decision when she has an idea of
the type of people that have be
come her baby's parents. It helps
with the grief process.
"The children get more infor
mation about their history," she
said. "Years ago we didn't give
reasons why the child was put up
for adoption, and now we give
that and more. This way's a lot
more honest."
If the agency had the types of
post-placement therapy then as
Too rr
lexas
Miss TAMU
KARL A. STOLLEIS/The Batialw,
See Adoption/ Page/
Junior Jill McClure won the Miss Texas A&M crown Saturday
night. McClure, an English major from Woodville, received
$1500 in cash, $500 for wardrobe and the opportunity to
represent A&M in the Miss Scholarship Pageant in July.
Crime Stoppers
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On Sunday, Feb. 2 at 1 a.m. a
young woman was walking alone
along Dartmouth Street near the
intersection of Harvey Road in
College Station. As she passed a
group of young white males, they
verbally jeered and harassed her.
One of the males left the group,
ran up behind the woman,
grabbed her and dragged her into
the alleyway behind the strip
shopping center on the southeast
corner of the intersection.
Once they were hidden from
view, the suspect assaulted the
woman and left her lying on the
ground as he ran off along Dart
mouth Street.
The suspect is described as a 20
to 22-year-old white male, ap
proximately 200 pounds, with
short brown hair parted on the
side. He was last seen wearing a
white oxford shirt with stripes,
slightly faded blue jeans, wine col
ored rope belt, and brown boots.
This week the College Station
Police Department and Crime
Stoppers need your help to identi
fy the person(s) responsible for
this sexual assault.
If you have information that
could be helpful, call Crime Stop
pers at 775-TIPS. When you call.
Crime Stoppers will assign you a
special coded number that will
protect your identity.
If your call leads to an arrest
and grand jury indictment. Crime
Stoppers will pay you up to $1,000
in cash. Crime Stoppers also pays
cash for information on any felony
crime or the location of any want
ed fugitive.
TUESDAY
THE STUDENT ORGANIZATION FOR
ANIMALS AND ANIMAL RESEARCH
AND THE BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
ASSOCIATION: Dr. John Kochevar will
be speaking on “Autologous Growth
Promotion Mechanisms in Cancer Cells.”
7:30 p.m. in 201 VMS.
CENTER FOR ACADEMIC
ENHANCEMENT: Free review session for
the TASP writing section. Will include
skills necessary to succeed on the test,
types of questions likely to be on the test
and general test taking strategies.
Register in advance in 243 Blocker. 5:30
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in 246A Blocker. Call Pat
or Venesa at 845-2724 for more
information.
PRO-CHOICE AGGIES: General meeting.
8:30 p.m. in 231 MSC. Call John at 847-
0993 for more information.
DEPARTMENT OF RECREATIONAL
SPORTS: Entries will be closing for Free
Throw, Squash Singles and Slam Dunk.
5:30 p.m. in 159 Read. Call 845-7826 for
more information.
ORTHODOX STUDENT ORGANIZATION:
OSO is a group of Eastern Orthodox
Christians from various ethnic
backgrounds. Discussion group. 5:15
p.m. in 230 MSC. Call Paul Comits at 847-
4667 for more information.
ASSOCIATION OF A&M GUITARISTS:
Organizational meeting - elect officers -
plan future events. Guitar and Bass
Workshops: bring your guitar! 8:30 p.m.
at Rumours in the MSC. Call Kelly Shatzer
at 696-3522 for more information.
STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICE:
Final week for screenings for therapy
group for Lesbians and Gay men titled, (
"Coming Out and Relationships” on the
3rd floor of the YMCA Building. Call Mr
Chris Maglio or Mr. Brian Reinhardt at 845-
4427 for more information.
RPTS UNDERGRADUATE
PROFESSIONAL COMMITTEE: General
meeting to discuss upcoming Graduate
study opportunity, Job Fair, etc. 5:30 p.m.
in 151 Francis.
Continued on Page 10
The Battalion
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through Friday during the summer session. Second class postage paid at College
Station, TX 77840.
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Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editorial board or the contributor,
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Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For
classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and
office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-5408.
Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50
per full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611.
Department of Speech
Communication
and TAMCI Debate Society
presents
PUBLIC FORUM DEBATE
Resolved: The press has been irresponsible
in its coverage of the private lives
of public figures.
DATE: Wednesday, February 19, 1992
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: 701 Rudder
Come and Voice your opinion!
Help Finance Spring Break
FAST TAX REFUNDS
2 TO 3 WEEKS
(409) 693-8220
Call for an appointment
• Electronically filed tax returns
less than $29.
L-TL & Associates
403 University Dr. West, Room E
College Station, TX
(across from Texas A&M at Northgatc - above Campus Photo • Entrance on College Main, Upstairs)
12^ MAN
FOUNDATION
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP
General Meeting
Tues., Feb* 18 8:30 p*m.
308 Rudder
Guest Speakers will be Track & Tennis Coaches
Plans for our "infamous" football trip to
New Orleans are being made.
Don't Miss Out!I
Any questions call 846-8193
/t GENERALIZED
ANXIETY DISORDER STUDY
Individuals are being recruited for a research study on
Generalized Anxiety Disorder. If you experience anxiety
or would like to find out more about this study, call VIP
Research. $200.00 will be paid to qualified volunteers
who enroll and complete this study.
V
CALL
VOLUNTEERS IN PHARMACEUTICAL
RESEARCH, INC.®
776-1417
rr
ULCERATIVE COLITIS
VIP Research is seeking individuals with ulcerative colitis. If
you've been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and you're 12
years of age or older, you may qualify for a five month study of
a currently available medication. $200.00 will be paid to those
who complete this study.
CALL
VOLUNTEERS IN PHARMACEUTICAL
RESEARCH, INC.®
776-1417
1
r
ACNE STUDY
VIP Research is seeking individuals, 12 years and older,
with mild-to-moderate acne for a 12-week research study
of an anti-acne medication. $100.00 will be paid to those
who complete this study.
CALL
VOLUNTEERS IN PHARMACEUTICAL
RESEARCH, INC.®
V 776-1417
rr
%
GENITAL HERPES INFECTION
Individuals with genital herpes infection are being recruited fora
research study of an investigational antiviral medication. If you
would like to find out more about this study, call VIP Research.
A monetary incentive will be paid to qualified volunteers who
enroll and complete this study.
CALL
VOLUNTEERS IN PHARMACEUTICAL
RESEARCH, INC.®
Vv 776-1417 J