iaturday,,April 16, 1977.
THE MICHIGAN DAIQY
Page Five
Farmers, scientists, and legislators: The tragedy ofPBB
(Continued from Page 1) tration, opposes the Spaniola mental health researcher at of information - and each oth-. ' FRYF! SAID that while Crim's formation to the legislature. We
similar packages, and the Fire- proposal for two reasons: "For *New York City's Mt. Sinai Hos- er - for government's late support for legislation lowering could have used more informa- ,)Tonight in the Modern Languages Buil
master had been accidently one, (PBB) doesn't appear to be pital. Selikoff said he was in- start in dealing with PBB. . PBB tolerance levels was still tion on what are the human
sent to the Battle Creek plant nearly as toxic as people are terested in studying PBB con- "The Farm Bureau is the in doubt, the house speaker's of- health effects."
where it was accidently mixed trying to suggest, and two, if tamination in Michigan, but right arm -of the Republican fice was deluged with as many
with cattle feed. The result: you consider that lowering the needed an official invitation to Party," charges Alpha Clark, a as fifty calls a day from Farm F R Y E C 0 N T I N U E D: (Charles Chaplin 1936) Complete shows: 7 and
contamination as high as 13,500 tolerance will remove (PBB begin work. veterinarian from Marion, Mich- Bureau members urging him "Through 1975, the executive of- Today is sir charle's 87th birthday! To honor the o
parts PBB per million parts from the state's farm), that's igan. Clark, who has treated to oppose the change. fice was downplaying the risks are showing his veryfst screen (appe(A)and his(I
feed. ridiculous. There isn't even "BUT THE people in the many cattle poisoned with PBB, of PBB and reassuring the citi- feature (MODERN TIMES). In the feature, Chaplin is Li
Although that level may seem enough of it left around today." MDA (Michigan Dept. of Agri- has kept a collection of deep- "It's a big business and a zens that there was nothing to made his last appearance. Charlie get a job in a factory
minor, it is catastrophically But Willett's conclusions have culture) said they didn't need frozen deformed calves born to m e in b e r s h i p organiza- worry about." up sbotaging the machinery A mostly silent filn-with
poisonous. As Lou Trombley, a been severely questioned. Just any help," Corbett said. He cows stricken with PBB. tion," Eckstein remarked. Sandler countered, saying the tion of Chaplin's famous nonsense song
Hersey farmer, put it, "What this week, two more farms were sought an in itation for Selikoff "It's the economics of it, if "When its business interests legislature had failed to heed HAROLD AND MAU
you can get under your finger- placed under quarantine by the from Milliken's office through you want to know the answer,'"W are thseatened, it can start a the governor s call for a lower
nail can wipe out an entire herd Department of Agriculture, in- one of the governor's aides. He he said. "Two to three hundred communications chain. The abil- PBB tolerance limit since May, (Hal Ashby, 1971) 7, 8:45 and 10:30
of cows. That's how toxis the dicating that toxic levels of received no response. million dollars in damages - ity of t be Farm Bureau to gen- 1975. A charming love story of a necrophiliac teenager anda
PBB do persist. "It would have been of no that's why the government cov- erate h-tters and other forms of Regardless of who is respon- old lady. Their meeting and their romance is a lovely m
' cost to the state," said Corbett, ered it up." pressure on the legislature, sible for the state's slow re- tale set aglow by some sharp, fresh jabs at motherhood
Early in 1974, hundreds of FURTHERMORE, feed being whose own research is federally along with the governor's lack sponse to the PBB crisis, most tary, psychiatry, and computer dating. Music by CatI
cows began to show the symp- sold today is still being tested funded. "AT SOME levels of the De- of leadership is responsible for observers concede the issue is cult fil that people see five or six times. Ruth o
toms of a mysterious illness. and quarantined, despite the Without the go-ahead for Seli- partment of Agriculture, the state inaction on PBB." likely to have a big impact on co' i Adm ision:$2.00 double feature
Milk production dipped drastic- fact that Farm Bureau Services koff, study plans lay dormant Farm Bureau just has too much Al Snndner, Milliken's press the 1978 gubernatorial and legis- ms $1 .25 single feature
ally, gaping sores appeared on told its customers in May, 1974 for two and a half years. influence," remarked Peter secretary, disputed the charge lative elections. Milliken, as a
the hidesirof the afflicted an- that the feed it was mixing was Eckstein, an economist on the that t1he governor was negli- result of a recall effort against "
mats, their skin became abnor- no longer contaminated. LAST YEAR, a chance con- staff of the Michigan UAW. gent it handling PBB. him, has been bearing the brunt Sunda April 17 in MLB
mally wrinkled and thick,thij of the adverse publicity so far. SudyApi17nML
legs became weak, they lost Farm Bureau Services offic- versation between Corbett and "The Farm Bureau interest isty
their appetites, and many cows ials insist they cleaned their Edie Clark, staff aide to Michi- different than the farmers' in- "IT'S KIND OF easy for It is far from sure that the ORPHEUS"
delivered dead fetuses. PBB - contaminated plants in gan House Speaker Bobby Crim, terest." someoe to come in and start Democratic state leadership will
July 1974, and determined that produced the necessary invita- Eckstein said that whenever secondi guessing what we could come out clean in a showdown AND
THlE FIRST persons to probe they were safe. But Kingsley tion for Selikoff. The New York the Agriculture Department or shoaild have done," he said. over PBB. The party's control "RICH RD III
the Fmysters nsvey t wre Kay, a New York doctor who doctor's preliminary findings, quarantined a herd of cattle, "Yot and I are speaking with of the state legislature may
the mystery extensively wered researched the controversy and released in January, showed it increased the Farm Bureau's the beiiefit of hindsight. We feel make PBB as much of a liabil-
FF. LHalbert, a farmeran authored an article published in high rates of nervous, skin, liability and made it easier for we always did move with dis- ity, in the eyes of the voters,
who carefkson, th ver.Autop- the scientific journal Environ- joint, and gastro-intestinal dis- the farmer to collect damages. patch on the basis of what we es inmocrats as for Repub- Monday, April 18 in MLB
sies of 24 of his cows that had mental Research, cited. a July orders among persons exposed For this reason, he said, the de- did know at the time. A
died in six months showed that 1975 report from the Michigan to PBB. partment was often not aggres- Sandner denied that Milliken Aready, the approaching 1978 LUIS BUMUEL NIGHT
seven had been afflicted with Senate Investigation Commit- The final Selikoff data will be sive in tracking down all the 1 paid special attention to Farm campaign seems to be stimu-I
seven had been afflicted with lati~~ng morepulcdssio("T EC I NA LIE0
unexplained changes in their1 tee which contested the Farm available in several months. contaminated feed or in seeing Burean interests. "He's under lat ubic dsuso I
livers and four with similar kid- Bureau Services' claim. Kay The Michigan State Depart- that affected farms were noti- constant pressure from interest of t PB iue deatif "T H I M I N A E 0
ney problems. wrote that cattle which had ment of Health conducted the fied and tested. groups on al side of every is- how future disasters like thenD
not actually eaten the PBB- only other study of PBB's effect Eckstein also pointed the fing- sue,' he said..and
Researchers pooled their find- tainted feed became contami- on humans. That was in 1974. 1er at Milliken himself for what T 1g E AGRICULTURE De- PBB contamination crisis can
ings and established that the ated anyway. Persons from 90 per cent of the he termed his failure to respond partinent also attacked the be prevented, may serve the TRISTANA
feed contained lethal accumula- "Three main routes of indi- quarantined farms were sam- to the PBB crisis. charger that it had protected the public asbmuch as any place-
tions of PBB in May 1974. Six Fam ueu ahrta h ment of blame,
months later the state's Depart- rect contamination appear like- pled against non-quarantined Far_ __ureau,_ratherthanthe
ment of Agriculture set a to]- ly," Kay continued. "A) Clean i farm 'dwellers. The results "THE GOVERNOR'S record farm ers or the public: "That is!
eran le ofeed was processed or mixed in showed no significant difference has been one of inaction, foot- 1 nonsen ise," commented depart-
erance level of PBB umeat, contaminated elevators at the in the frequency of complaints dragging and taking at face ment spokeswoman Margaret
milk, and eggs. If produce was Farm Bureau Services ... As between the groups. value the advice of some very McCrill. "Our whole interest is
found to contain amounts of regards 16 herds studied by the biased members of the adminis- to asure that the public food
PBB over the level, animals Food and Drug Administration HOWEVER, as Kay notes, tration, narticularly the Agri- supplly is safe. We have worked
from the source farm w e as late as 1975, feed residues "In terms of family clusters, an culture Department." to eniforce the law. We haven't
to be quarantined -not to be found in nine supplying mills interesting finding was that An aide to Michigan House been trying to help the Farm
PBB level fell to the "safe" contained from 0 to 19 ppm of some of those on the nonquaran- Sneaker Bobby Grim exlained
PBB . . . Cleanup between tined farms had had exposure why he thinks the Farm Bureau ( M<Call said that in 1974, the
range. batches was clearly not ade- to PBB ... In spite of the nega- has been able to block legisla- legifdature refused to act on an
The tolerance levels set in quate to the initial high level of; tive findings, anecdotal reports itiNe action on PBB. Agriculture Department propos-f
November 1974 are still the law toxic contamination. of rashes, alopecia, gastro-intes- "Thew are nrobablv one of the al for emergency loans to PBB-
today - .3 parts per milon "B) Recycling of contaminat- tinal disturbances, and other most influential lobbies in the affected farms: "There are rep- LI NA WERTMU LLER'S 19
(ppm) milk, meat, and de- ed products took place, Kay complaints have continued from state," said Fred Frye, a legal resevtatives who didn't indicate
rivative products, and .05 ppm added "For examplepriort, p e r s o n s on quarantinedresearchr on Crim's staff. "ITt's any interest (then) who started E E U CO F M M
ad eggs"andrfeed. . exapl,. it ersonq t a well-oiled machine. If they screaming recently. They have
U nti ich died on a con- Hor s the B o have 60,000 members and they been kept informed all along."
can get even a Auarter of them Five, of Grim's staff disput- A fresh and frogant seXual farce with political overtone
many authorities, testing of taminated farm would be sent alled o get so'farhoutof cn to write or call, that's 15,000 ed McCall: "The Agriculture one of Europe's leading direCtors. The pride of Mimi le
PBB in livestock is unreliable at to a rendering plant for process- trot? Why didn't the Depart- people. Deptrrtment didn't supply in-
best. PBB accumulates at dras- ing and incorporation into feed ments of Agriculture a n dhim from his communist beliefs into conformity (and tr
tically different levels in dif- *. C) Feed swapping between Health, the governor's office, --
ferent f cls body, individual farms and feed mills and the state legislature re- ble with the Mafia) as he pursues a double life with his w
and a single test may label a was customary and undoubtedly spond earlier and more deci- and mistress. Starring the team of Giancarlo Gianini a
ve sick cow marketable contaminated feed was spread in sively to the cattle poisonings HmStfo
Explains farmer Trombley, this way." and the related human health g=A E EOVER! Mariangela Melato.
"You can take 17 different sam- Kay went on to note that PBB hazard? i~ragi
"eout of a c7 d yoc henetrateKcyment floors B F a r m e r s, consumer ad- Fri & Sat 4:45 7:009:30-Sun 4:45700 9!:15- Mon thru Thurs 7:00 9:15SHUNGER
pies out of a caw and you can had penetrated cement floors Sunday: U GE
get 17 different (PBB) read- and can still be detected in vocates, and the Michigan Unit-I"
ings." Such things happened to floor cleaner. "Decontamina- ett eWorkers (UAW) charge ACADEMY BEST TONIGHT AT OLD ARCH. A
Trombley's herd, and he has tion procedures, such as high- thatwthe accountable state agen- CINEM A GUILD7:0,:0 Admission $1
lost any faith he ever had in the pressure steam, vacuum, and cies were catering to the eco- AWRD 7GUILD0 Amsson$
government's ability to deter- disassembling of equipment, nomic interests of the Michigan IN ICTURE
mine the state of a cow's failed to remove PBB entirely , Farm Bureau, a privatecfarm- WINNER MEA ROBERT ALTMAN-in conjunction with R. Altman Fest
health. If a cow in his herd is And even if PBB were only ers cooperative which createdI
sick, he refuses to sell It, re- reaching consumers in the au- Farm Bureau Services, and SPECIAL DOUBLE FEATURE
gardless of the PBB level as- thorized low levels, taking into Michigan Chemical Corporation,
signed to it by the Department account that the chemical is ritheratha rectg tpu CALIFORNIA SPLIT 7P.M. ONL
of Agriculture. stored in the body fat and ac-Gsic s c pstg br h m hs phE
It is these levels which have cumulates over time, some re- George Segal as a compulsive gambler who matches up with Eli
stirred some of the most fer- searchers are still concerned HOWEVER, the state agen-Goul for one last try at the big one. To be shown instereoph
vent protestations of the whole over dangers to animals, hu- cies n question blame a lack sound as originally filmed.
controversy. Many have de- man beings, and offspring ex- siAND
manded that the levels be set posed to PBB before being -.231_suth__state__ 1214 s. universityNASHVILLE 9:5
at the point at which the first born.
hNnT HE1sBBersodet74ted.-Altman's panoramic view of America. Set in the Country music cap
A PANEL OF researchers ap- versity Anesthesiology Professor of the world. To be shown in stereophonic sound as it was origin
pointed by Milliken in March, Thomas Corbett conductedsstu- -.e P2r P4filmed, with Karen Black, Ronee Blakely, Henry Gibson, Keith Ca
1976, nearly 18 months after the dies which pointed to PBB as a TODAY AT 1:00-3:05- TODAY AT 1:15-3:45- dine, Shelly Duvall and many, many more.
first levels had been set, recom- cause of birth defects in labora- 5:10-7:15-9:20 TODAY AT 1-3-5-7-9 6:15-8:45 OPEN 1:00 THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANN ARORITES CAN SEE
mended that they be set at the 'tory mice. Noting the chemical ROUSING WW j1 ACADEMY AWARD BOTH THESE FLMS WITH 4 TRACK SOUND.
lowest detectable levels - .005 similarity between PBB andG WiNNERS Sat. Aft. Matinee of "SMALL CHANGE
ppm for meat and eggs and .001 PCB - a chemical known to be PETER FINCH A' "e A ards 1 & 3-ANGELL--AUD. "A"
for milk. carcinogenic - he said there FAYE DUNAWAY $1.25 Adults 75c Children
The first step in state e was reason to beleve PBB BEATRICE STRAIGHT ANGELL HALL-AUJD."
islature toward lowering the tol- might have the same dire ef- PADDY CHAYEFSKY'SEMA
erance levels came early this fects. iAI
yrDAVID CARRADINECINEMAt
year, when State Representative ; any^I informed the Michiga De- . ~L.
ding
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ccasion, we
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and winds.
the excep-
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an 80-year-
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how
Francis Spaniola introduced a
bill which would drop meat
maximums to .02 ppm. The bill
also orders the testing of 80,000
Michigan cattle suspected of
contamination, and at least 19,-
000 are expected to exceed the
.02 level. Such cows will be de-
stroyed.
The Spaniola bill would also
pay farmers compensation, at
fair market value, for each de-
stroyed animal, and it author-
izes the state attorney general
to prosecute the responsible
parties.
M I L L I K E N sponsors the
bill, as do many legislators, but
it was initially opposed by of-
ficials in the Department of Ag-
riculture, who maintained for
months that the present levels
were adequate. Milliken has
pressured the Department of
Agriculture officials to reverse
their position. The bill has
passed the Michigan House of
Representatives but faces a
struggle in two Senate com-
mittees - Agriculture and Ap-
propriations.
But the bill is not endorsed
heartily in all other quarters
either. Scientist L. B. Willett of
the Ohio Agricultural Research
and Development Center, who
has investigated PBB for the
federal Food and Drug Adminis-
I- n- 1 --
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
SPECIAL MATINEES: 1:00 and 4:00 only $1.00
9:15 p.m. $1.50 and
SPECIAL MIDNIGHT SHOW only $1.00
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