The Michigan aiiy-Tuesday, May 8, 1979-Page 3
Carter backs nukes for now
From AP, Reuterand UPI
WASHINGTON - President Carter
said yesterday the nation's nuclear
power plants must continue to operate,
but he promised to push the country
toward alternate energy sources and
conservation measures.
Carter told organizers of an anti-
nuclear demonstration, which, drew
from 65,000 to 100,000 people to
Washington yesterday, that he was con-
fronted with a difficult problem, and he
reviewed the steps being taken to meet
it.
The mass rally, which included ac-
tress Jane Fonda and California
Governor Jerry Brown as speakers,
was prompted in large part by the
nuclear accident at the Three Mile
Island power plant which recently
threatened areas in Pennsylvania with
radiation exposure.
WHILE THE president was speaking
to organizers of the rally, Congressman
Morris Udall (D-Arizona) led members
of a House of Representatives Interior
Affairs Committee to Pennsylvania for
an on-site inspection of the Three Mile
Island plant.
Udall, chairman of the House Energy
subcommittee said the revelation was
extremely disturbing.
"The fact that there was an explosion
that first morning and that the com-
pany knew about it certainly should
have been reported to the governor,
who had evacuation responsibility," he
said.
"THE FUTURE of nuclear power is
in doubt," said Udall, after members of
his House Interior Committee took an
hour-long look at the plant and the con-
trol room, where problems caused a
near-disaster March 28.
"The human error involved here was
very significant," he said outside the
plant which has since been shut down.
Meanwhile, consumer advocate
Ralph Nader said yesterday that plans
for ensuring the safety of the public
during nuclear accidents lack
credibility and provide only "an illusion
of protection."
TESTIFYING before a congressional
panel, Nader called for the ouster of
members of the Nuclear Regulatory*-
Commission for their handling of the
crisis at the Three Mile Island nuclear
plant five weeks ago.
The message from Three Mile Island,
Nader said, is that "the place where
you can mess up most and still keep
your job is the U.S. gover-
nment ... military officers are court-
martialed for far less levels of neglect
than Chairman Hendrie and his cohorts
and predecessors in the NRC demon-
strated." He was referring to NRC
Chairman Joseph Hendrie.
Nader, a proponent of closing all
nuclear power plants, said emergency
plans are written by utility companies
and do not have to be reviewed by the
state and local governments that would
be called on to implement them.
"State and local officials often do not
know the plans exist," Nader charged.
After the plans are drafted, there is no
requirement that evacuation
procedures be tested to see if they
would work, he said.
Anti-nuke protesters
march on Washington
By JULIE ROVNER Ross aid the entire event was organ-
Specialtothe Daily zied in less than three weeks and that
WASHINGTON-Heralding the the concept "just arose spon-
arrival of nuclear power as a major taneously. He said that the crowd,
issue for the 1980s, between 70,000 and which was only expected to be about
150,000 demonstrators-the number 25,000, was "overwhelming."
depending on which "official" estimate "What we're doing today is mor im-
is used-took advantage of a beautiful portant then fighting racism or sexism
spring day here Sunday to march to the or hunger," Dick Gregory, comedian
Capitol to protest what they described and political activist, told the chanting
as a growing threat to mankind. crowd, whidb sprawled on the west
The crowd-the largest to attend an lawn of the Capitol. "I can feel hunger, i
anti-nuclear demonstration in this can feel and hear racism, and I can feel
country, and the largest to march on sexism, but I can't feel radiation or
couhntsmell it. What we have to do today is to
Washington since the days of the anti- give radiation an odor."
war movement--spent the day basking THE DEMONSTRATION began
in the sun and listening to the likes of early Sunday under overcast skies as
California Gov. Jerry Brown, consumer more than 50,000, many sporting ban-
advocate Ralph Nader, actress-activist ners from anti-nuclear groups nation-
Jane Fona, and her husband Tom wide, gathered on the Ellipse behind
Hayden. Between speakers, singers the White House, gearing up and
Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, Dan listening to a wide variety of speakers.
Fogelberg, Graham Nash, and others By noon the sun had emerged as the
performed. crow
Participants arrived in the nation's owd plowed down Pennsylvania Ave.
capital onkmore than 624 buses from 26 towards the Capitol, chanting two,
states, including Michigan, but the rodi six, eight, we don't want to
sheer numbers surprised even the r ate, and hell no, we won't glow."
organizers, a group of over 200 Many also sported buttons and t-shirts
organizations calling themselves the reading "the only safe breeder is a rab-
May 6 Coalition. bit," and "Einstein would shit, stop
"I THINK WE sent a message heard nuclear power."
loud and clear by the President and AS THE CROWD neared its
Congress that nuclear power is a major destination, it picked up stranglers, in-
national issue," said Donald Ross, cluding a variety of dogs, sporting
director of the New York Public various anti-nuclear t-shirts and signs,
Research Interest Group, and coor- and a group of girl scouts from New
dinator of the demonstration. See NUCLEAR, Page 6
DEMONSTRATORS GATHER near the White House in Washington on Sunday
to protest nuclear power. More than 70,000 people appeared at the rally.
r-today
The shadow knows
While actress Jane Fonda called for the removal
of federal Energy Secretary James Schlesinger
during Sundays' anti-nuclear protest in
Washington, D.C., a group of people has
established a "shadow" department of
energy, according to the magazine High Times. The
"Shadow Energy Secretary",~is attorney John
Lamont, and his alternative bureaucracy mirrors
administrative levels of the real cabinet depar-
tment. The "shadow" symbol is the federal Energy
Department's official loogo-casting a shadow. The
shadow bureau's goals, according to a lurking
spokesperson, include advocating solar energy,
reducing the influence of oil companies, and rooting
out private power company contracts developed by
-Schlesinger staff.- Schlesinger may hold the of-
ficial position, buti's possible that the old cliche is
at work in this case-only the shadow knows.
Women (NOW) will hold a monthly meeting at the
Unitarian Church, 1917 Washtenaw Ave. at
7:45 ... The University Center for Continuing
ducation of Women is offering two new groups: The
Job Search series meets Tuesdays from 1 p.m. to 3
nm and the Career Deisin M
. ., ng s ic%-CLUl U~~l-Ydii t e es ee s
Happenings . . . Fridays at the same time. Call 763-1353 to register.
... begin at 8 a.m. with a symposium on "The
Recruitment and Employment of Minority
Educators" at the Michigan League ... the
Biological Research Review Committee will meet On the outside
at 3 p.m. at 3087 yPH I. Call 764-0463 in advan-
ce ... Relax until 7 p.m., when the Go Club meets Be very careful as you open your window shade,
at 2050 Frieze Building ... the Farm Labor Go ahead-now peek inside, but don't scare the sun
Organizing Committee (FLOC) organizational away, because there's a 30 per cent chance it'll rain
meeting will be at the Michigan Union, Conference today. At any rate, the clouds will increase, but the
Rooms 1 and 2, at 7:30 p.m., featuring a slide show high temperature will continue to hover around 80'.
and speech :. . the Nati0sal' 'Organiaation .for. The lomowiH be in the mid-6ft. # 9a. - -