AEC
Eighty years of editorial freedom
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
a
license
to
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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1970 NIGHT EDITOR: STEVE KOPPMAN
9 II
r l
// T
By PAT MAHONEY
INCREASINGLY serious short-
ages in the fossil fuels tradi-
S tionally used to generate electric
powerhave recently forced power
companies to turn to nuclear en-
ergy as a source of basic power. In
doing so, they have had the tacit
but unconditional support of an
American public which has, over
the years. developed an implicit
trust in the governmental watch-
dog over nuclear energy, the
A t o m i c Energy Commission
(AEC).
Since nuclear -pollution is far
less visible than targets of current
anti-pollution sentiment and since
the mechanisms which produce it
are so complex and little under-
stood by the public, the citizenry
has generally been content to let
the government worry about the
problem.'
But because America has slept,
the AEC has been allowed to place
great emphasis on the construc-
tion of plants without proper re-
gard to making them safe, and
the businesses involved have dis-
played little more concern for the
public safety.
Since 1954, when the Atomic
Energy Act of 1946 was rewritten
to permit the private development
of nuclear power, the AEC has
tried hard to sell the product it
has been charged with regulating.
However, despite lucrative in-
ducements, few businesses were
attracted to the use of atomic
energy in the early years.
BUT ONE LEGISLATIVE de-
velopment in 1957 soon changed
the attitude of businesses, a n d
ultimately spurred a rush toward
the use of atomic energy. This
was the Price-Anderson Act of
1957, which limits insurance cov-
erage for any radiological acci-
dent to $560 million. While this
seems like a large amount of cov-
erage to the public, it is dwarfed
by a Brookhaven report which has
estimated that as much as $7 bil-
lion in property damage alone
could result from such an acci-
dent. ,
At first private operators of
nuclear plants were liable for only
$60 million. while the govern-
ment's liability was $500 million.
Recently the operator's share has
risen to $74 million and the gov-
ernment's contribution has drop-
ped to $486 million. But the total
still comes out to only $560 mil-
lion - eight per cent of the pro-
herty damage in a $7 billion mis-
han.
Thus, itrwas only after busi-
nesses were made relatively free
R. from responsibility for their own
e accidents that they began to build.
m Right from the start, then, safe-
e ty was not emphasized above pro-
of duction.
By the middle 1960's, then, pow-
y, er barons had begun to deluge the
o commission with applications for
- building permits.
ly By the end of 1967, 31 permits
e remained unreviewed and the AEC
iesuddenly realized its licensing
- staff was unprepared to handle
the influx of construction r e -
quests.
1d To skirt the problem, the AEC re-
acted in predictable fashion by be-
coming a huge and decentralized
bureaucracy, with top adminis-
It trators losing touch with day to
le day operations and with the de-
r mand for efficiency resulting in a
lack of attention to details - in-
cluding safety. And like all bur-
- eaucracies, the AEC has begun
e to regard dissent in its ranks as
s little more than counter-produc-
L tive.
ly THE COMMISSION'S response
o to criticism from two of its phy-
g sicists at theLawrence Radiation
t. Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.,
has been typical.
The two physicists, Drs. John
s Gofman and Arthur Tramplin,
have complained for over a year
that the AEC is risking "genocide"
beapproving dangerous levels of
radioactivity for peaceful uses. If
Americans receive the maximum
"safe" dose of radiation endors-
ed by the AEC, they say, 32,000
extra cancer deaths may occur
annually. To correct this, they
have recommended that the AEC
immediately reduce the maximum
permissible radiation levels to no
more than one-tenth the current
limit.
Gofman and Tramplin h a v e
not been dismissed as a result,
but their effectiveness and influ-
ence has been seriously reduced
by large reductions in their, staffs.
Tramplin reported at the begin-
ning of July that his original staff
of 12 was reduced to a single re-
search assistant, and Gofman says
two men have been removed from
his command. Both say the cuts
were made after they began com-
plaining about the AEC stand-
ards.
Of course. the Commission has
denied the physicists' charges.
IN THE PUBLIC sphere, the
Commission. is just as callous
toward criticismif as it is intern-
ally. At present, this has resulted
in a court suit against the State
of Minnesota by both the AEC
and Northern States Power Co.
The controversy arose when the
state followed the advice of a
former U.S. Public Health Serv-
ice radiologist and set radiation
emission limits on a nearly com-
pleted Northern States nuclear
plant at only two per cent of the
,AEC-allowed level.
The state Is arguing that it has
the right to set its own stand-
ards as long as they do not go
higher than the federally estab-
lished limits. But the AEC. jeal-
ous of its power, is arguing that it
alone has the authority to set any
regulations regarding the use of
nuclear energy, and has brought
suit against the state. Twelve
states, including Michigan. how-
ever, have joined in °sunporting
Minnesota against the AEC.
Even more distressing than the
bureaucratic nature of the com-
mission is the fact that despite its
reputation for extreme care, the
AEC has shown signs of extreme-
ly poor judgment in the last few
years. One good example is the
manner in which the commission
has disposed of radioactive wastes
already produced by nuclear re-
actors.
The problem results from the
fact that some of the wastes do not
decay for hundreds or thousands
of years. Throughout this period
the wastes can inflict damage-on
th~e skin, eyes, lungs, bones, and
teeth.kIrradiation of children's
bones has caused retardation of
growth and heavier doses will
shorten limbs. Local irradiation
of the jaws has slowed tooth
growth and destruction of the jaw
bone may result from largerhdoses.
And reducingthe toxicity of this
waste is impossible. It can only
decay naturally, and virtually per-
petual containment is thus re-
quired to neutralize the danger.
SINCE IT FIRST attacked the
problem, the AEC has believed in
storing the wastes in large steel
tanks which now contain about
75 million gallons of waste. But
some of the tanks, all of which
have been built to AEC specifi-
cations, have already begun to
fail in only their first 20 years
of operation, despite the obvious
need for extreme longevity.
In 1968 the AEC's authorizing
legislation called for $2,500,000 for
replacement of tanks in Rich-
land, Wash. Of 149 tanks built
in 1964 with about 95 million gal-
lons of capacity, one hadsalready
failed and four showed signs of
imminent failure!
Since the AEC had obviously
known in advance that the tanks
would have to be extremely long
lasting, the rapid failure of the
tanks is apparently just the re-
sult of poor judgment on the part
of the AEC.
Furthermore, despite the com-
mon recognition by conservation-
ists of the dangers of thermal pol-
lution (changing the temperature
of the environment surrounding a
nuclear facility), the AEC has con-
sistently refused to consider it
when deciding whether to license a
plant.
THIS REFUSAL may event-
ually result in pollution of Lake
Michigan off the Michigan shore-
line if the AEC grants an oper-
ating license to Consumers Power
Company's Palisades plant near
-South Haven. AEC hearings on
the matter held this summer re-
sulted in opposition from five con-
servation groups on the grounds
that the plant will pollute the lake.
From the beginning, the AEC
has refused to consider thte pos-
sibility of thermal pollution from
the plant. At a June 2 prehear-
ing conference, AEC officials said
testimony at the hearing would
be limited to discussing radioac-
tive discharges from the plant.
On Aug. 26, a three-judge panel
in Chicago denied an emergency
motion by the five groups to halt
the AEC hearings because the ef-
fects of thermal pollution and the
possible' effects of radiation have
not been considered.
Recently the hearings were re-
cessed until Oct. 5.
The fact that the power com-
panies would apply for permits for
such facilities of couse also impli-
cates them as polluters, and the
incidents of carelessness by busi-
nesses shows they have no better
attitude than the AEC.
IN ROCKY FLATS, Colo., for
instance, striking workers at an
AEC plant operated by the Dow
Chemical Company have protest-
ed the firm's handling of radio-
active wastes.
AEC regulations require that
wastes needing long-term dispos-
al be sent to an authorized bur-
ial ground. But both Dow and a
team of Congressional investigat-
ors admit union charges that
radioactive wastes have been bur-
ied at the plant. A Dow spokes-
man said the burials were consid-
ered temporary storage by t h e
company. Furthermore, he claim-
ed, only low-level radioactivity
was involved.
But even if the company w a s
not breaking the regulations, it
seems strange that it should be
the construction workers at the
plant who exposed the actions and
not thehcompany. The companies
apparently care more for their
images than for the public.
And neither secrecy about oper-
ations with nuclear energy n o r
disregard for accidents in already
existing plants seem to be parti-
cularly uncommon among the
companies using nuclear energy.
CONSUMERS Power Company
is building four reactors in Mich-
igan and early difficulties have
not discouraged the Jackson-based
company which sells electricity in
61 of the 68 counties in the state's
lower peninsula.
Electricity was first generated
in 1962 at Consuner's Big Rock
Point' Plant, near Charlevoix.
Since then several outages or in-
terruptions, have occurred. Screws
have been jostled from their holes
by vibrations and then lodged in
key moving parts, jamming them.
Six of 12 studs holding down an
important piece of shielding once
failed and a seventh was crack-
ed. A valve at the plant was once
malfunctioning for 12 reasons and
these were listed as just "some of
the known causes."
MEANWHILE Consumers has
ordered two reactors for the Mid-
land Nuclear Power Plant, which
will be located on a 1,000 acre site
south of Dow Chemical's complex
at Midland. Besides generating
electricity, this plant will provide
steam for Dow. \
At its September meeting, the
Michigan Water Resources Coin-
mission is expected to announce
restrictions to prevent any illegal
water.pollution from the Midland
plant.
Later this fall, the- AEC may
hold hearings to determine if this
project is to proceed to the con-
struction stage.
If so many accidents have oc-
curred in the past at previously
approved plants, one may be led
to doubt whether pollution will ac-
tually be prevented.
A few dozen miles south of its
Palisades plant, the Indiana-
Michigan Electric Company has
begun building the Donald C. Cook
nuclear plant on the shore of Lake
Michigan. The two reactors now
under construction there\ will be
the largest in the state when com-
pleted.
IN RETROSPECT it is ironic
that utilities would be able to
build so many nuclear plants in
Michigan, the home of the Enrico
Fermi plant at Monroe. For the
Monroe plant provides the classIc.
example of what can go wrong in
an atomic power plant.
In 1966 an accident at the Fermi
plant caused it to be completely
closed. For about 30 days after-.
wards, scientists, and utility ex-
ecutivas considered evacuating De-
troit. And earlier this year there
was an explosion in a room hous-
ing the plant's transfer tank
equipment.
But IPetroit Edison, which owns
and operates the steam and elec-
tric jgenerating sections of the
plant, still has confidence in nu-
clear power. By 1974 the utility
hopes a second nuclear unit will
be in operation on the Fermi site
and space on the property is also
being reserved for another reactor.
Thus, it is apparent that the
electric companies will be relying
on atomic power for the produc-
tion of electricity on an even
broader scale in the future than
they are now. And if society's de-
mands for electricity continue to
mushroom at the current rate of 4
expansion, atomic power may in-
deed be the company's only re-
course.
Considering both the dangers of
nuclear power and our present
inability to neutralize those dang-
ers, it would certainly make most
sense for the society to consider
means for reducing our usage of
electric power. At present, though,
a more practical consideration
would certainly be for the public
to keep a more watchful eye on
both the power companies and the
ACE. For as the evidence shows,
the public's unquestioning con-
fidence in both of these institu-
tions has proved r a t h e r un-
founded.
Letters to the 'Editor
TU' budget
To the Editor:
WE WOULD like to take issue
with several points made by Mr.
Koppman in his article in Thurs-
day's Daily. Mr. Koppman feels,
and we agree with him, that the
University is inhibited by "those
who pay for a large share of its
operations" - t h e Legislature.
However, he goes on to gay that
"the University is a crucial insti-
tution with vital functions, which
should not be subject to continu-
ous political pressure," and sug-
gests the possibility of putting the
University appropriations on an
automatic basis with a ten-year
budget.
Surely, Mr. Koppman would not
criticize those taxpayers who feel
it is their responsibility to exer-
cise some restraint upon the ac-
tivities of the Department of De-
fense, as many would argue that
DOD is a "crucial institution with
vital functions ..
Aside from the gross imprac-
ticality of his suggested ten-year
budget, we feel that Mr. Kopp-r
man's proposal that the Univer-
sity become further separated
from the infuence of the people
of Michigan would accelerate the
growth of an elitist intellectual
class. Instead of increasing this
stratification, American society
has to work toward erasing the
ar-tificial concepts of a worker-role
and a thinker-role.
-Joel Kanter
--Phil Berne
-Ken Snyder
Sept. 11
The Editorial Page of The
Michigan Daily is open to any-
one who wishes to submit
articles.-Generally speaking, all
articles should be less than
1,000 words.
tired ofyou press people maknme o ut t0o
some sort of clown !"
Spiro Agnew saves America
ICE PRESIDENT Agnew kicked off the
1970 campaign season two days ago
by urging workers to kick out the "r.di-
cal liberals" in Congress and elect Repub-
licans.
As he campaigned for various Repub-
licans who faced uphill and close elec-
tions, Agnew was at his rhetorical best,
using such choie adjectives as "troglody-
tic" to describe the Democrates in C o n-
gress.
In Springfield, Ill. the Vice President
assailed State treasurer Adlai Stevenson,
who is running for the U.S. Senate, be-
cause he criticized the Chicago nolice
during the 1968 Democratic National
Convention. "Any individual who, in
these times, will slander the men of the
Chicago police force by calling t h e m
Editorial Staff
MARTIN A. HIIRSCHMAN. Ediitor
STUART GANNES JUDY SARAS'WN
Editorial Director Managing Editor
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Sports Staff
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storm troopers in blue,' ought to be r
tired from public life," declared Agnew
Exactly what he meant by "in t h e s
times," is not quite clear. Judging fron
the context of his speech, however, th
Vice President implies that becauseo
the polarization of American society
there is no excuse for public officials ti
criticize any action by agents of the gov
ernment or "establishment", especial
when these actions are taken in th
cause of preserving established institu
tions which criticism might destroy.
'HE VICE PRESIDENT also explaine
that the object of the 1970 c a m
paign - from a Republican viewpoint
is to replace those who complain abou
what is wrong with America by peopl
who will "stand up and speak out fa
what is right about America.,,
Agnew's viewpoint here is rather cur
ious. because, assuming that there ari
some Droblems in America, someone ha
to complain about them if they are to b
remedied. The Vice President is reall
saving that the Republicans intend t
stop problems in America by Ignorin
them and pretending, they don't exis
This attitude is strongly suggestive of th
person who proposed to cure hemophiliac
by letting them bleed to death.
-LINDSAY CHANEY
t become necessary to destroy (a) South
Vietnam, (b) Laos, (c) Cambodia, (d)
Thailand, (e) All of the above-to save
Southeast Asia.
Drastic changes are
needed
to save America
(EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the
second of two parts analyzing the
contemporary Americanys ce ne.
Yesterday, Mr. Barnes argued that
only token reform of the system
can be accomplished unless revolu-
tionary,' or semi-revolutionary
pressures are applied. The author
is a teaching fellow in the poli-
tical science department.)
By BILL BARNES
WITH REFERENCE to modern
societies, t h e consistent ob-
structionism of established elites
can be explained in terms of the
fact that the established insti-
tutions of the industrial-bureau-
cratic systems developed and be-
came entrenched in the service of
narrow class interests and of a
narrow vision of social goals, cen-
tering around industrial produc-
tivity and administrative effi-
ciency. People who rise to posi-
tions of top leadership in these
systems are naturally people who
have demonstrated a strong com-
mitment to these institutions
(Clark Kerr once described his
job as seeing to it that "the well-
while they may differ over the de-
tails of how development should
proceed, and while they engage in
bitter in-fighting over the divis-
ion of the spoils, agree implicitly
on virtually all of the most basic
issues and act to manipulate pub-
lic discussion and political choice
accordingly. And the members of
these elites agree not so much be-
cause they "conspire" together
(though increasingly t h e y do),
but because their outlooks and ca-
reers have all been shaped by their
experience in various institutions
all of which are committed to the
absolute primacy of such goals as
industrial productivity, corporate
profit, and corporate growth.
These men have been raised and
trained to see these goals as pan-
aceas, to treat them as ends in
themselves, and thus t h e y are
congenitally incapable of leading,
and blindly unwilling to counten-
ance, movement toward really ef-
fective reordering of priorities.
TO BEGIN TO DEAL effective-
- because they have a multitude
of vested interests in the estab-
lished course of development and
because such reorientations would
not only detract from this course,
but would eventually undermine
and delegitimize it altogether.
The question of openness and
responsiveness must be placed in
this kind of context. Sure, t h e
American system h a s protected
basic civil liberties (most of the
time for most people within cer-
tain limits) and we do have more
or less free institutions; it's true,
the elites who run our system, do
sometimes respond to popular
pressure, and, undoubtedly, many
members of these elites w o u I d
genuinely prefer that there were
no r a c e problem, no ecological
crisis, no Vietnam war. But be-
cause their lives, their existential
and material success, are so tight-
ly bound up with established in-
stitutions, the prior committment
of theseelites, in practice,/ must
always be to the established or-
der of priorities - established
that our problems - of alienation
and dehumanization, of racism, of
ecological poisoning, of develop-
ing healthy and just relations with
the rest of the world - ha v e
reached a magnitude and a grav-
ity such that we simply cannot
afford to seriously concern our-
serves with anything else if we ard
to survive. In the 1970s, research,
development, and training in the
service of the old goals must not
merely take a back seat, it must
be given up entirely in favor of
research, development, and train-
ing more relevant to these bur-
geoning problems and more con-
sistent with a humane use of sci-
ence and technology.
THIS, OF COURSE, is where
the University is involved up to its
neck - in two ways: Most ob-
viously, the University is geared
to produce research, development,
and training in the service of the
old goals. Secondly, the educa-
tional experience which the Uni-
versity provides is designed to
whom we exploit and oppress),
are guilty of very great crimes of
both commission and omission,
The executives of our major cor-
porations and the officials of our
government, on one hand, have
brought massive destruction and
dehumanization down on us (and
on others) through their reckless
pursuit of narrow goals; and on
the other hand they obstruct the
development of effective and hu-
mane approaches to o u r major
problems.
They are responsible for so
much more senseless violence and
unnecessary suffering than a r e
the Weathermen or the B 1 a c k
Panthers (or anybody else in the
world), that to write letters and
sign statements which focus on
the "threat of anarchy" becomes
totally irresponsible.
What's more, to return to my
original point, to write such let-
ters and to sign such statements
simply will not do any good. Peo-
ple of good will must come to un-
derstand that while it is proper
that, the only thing that will be-
gin to turn the tide, to move us
toward a decline rather than an
increase in violence and bitter-
ness, is the mounting of a con-
certed and militant attack on the
obstructionism of es t a blishe d
elites, an attack which could serve
as the vehicle for a more reasoned
and effective pursuit of radical
change. (And, by the way, if we
are successful in mounting suph
an attack, the greatest part of
the credit must go to SNCC, to
SDS, and to the Panthers for the
impetus which they have provid-
ed - an impetus which radicals
must continue to sustain).
AMERICAN SOCIETY is faced,
in the 1970s, with a crisis of such
unprecedented proportions a n d
seriousness that men of good will
literally have no choice but to in-
sist, as forcefully as is necessary,
that we go far; far beyond the
kind of token reform which has
been the rule in the p a s t. To
prove themselves men of good will,