$10 million in damages awarded in Silkwood case The Michigan Daily -Thursday, January 12, 1984 - Page 3 'U'student ound dead in possile suici de WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court yesterday reinstated a $10 million negligence award won by the three children of the late Karen Silkwood, whose name became a battle cry for nuclear industry critics. By a 5-4 vote, the nation's highest court ruled that the huge "punitive damages" award against Kerr-McGee Corp. does not interfere with federal regulation of the nuclear industry. The decision, however, leaves Kerr- McGee free to challenge, in whole or in part, the award made by an Oklahoma jury in 1979. The jury found that Kerr- McGee's negligence led to Silkwood's radioactive contamination. "Wonderful news," said Silkwood's mother, Merle Silkwood of Nederland, Texas, who wept after learning of yesterday's decision. "We've got everything we wanted." Bill Silkwood, Silkwood's father, said 1 he hoped the decision will have an im- i pact on the nuclear industry. "It sends a message to big companies that they ought to look at how their plants are run - like Karen was trying to do here - to get better health and safety measures," he said. In Oklahoma City, family lawyer James Ikard predicted that the legal dispute could last up to three years longer if Kerr-McGee decides to con- tinue attacking the award. "We are very happy. We just don't know how happy," he said. Speaking at a news conference several hours after the high court's decision was announced, Kerr-McGee attorney Bill Paul said the company "most assuredly will challenge" the jury award. Paul also said a federal appeals court must still decide on radiation and protection standards that would apply to the entire industry. If the award eventually is upheld it will make millionaires of Silkwood's three teen-aged children who live in Ardmore, Okla., with their father, William Meadows. The children are Beverly, 17; Michael, 14; and Dawn, 13. Meadows had been divorced from Silkwood when she died in a 1974 automobile crash. He since has remarried. Karen Silkwood, a 28-year-old laboratory analyst at Kerr-McGee's Cimarron plutonium plant near Crescent, Okla., died Nov. 13, 1974, while on her way to meet with a repor- ter from The New York Times. Nine days before, she had been radioactively contaminated. Silkwood, a union activist responsible for monitoring health and safety mat- ters at the Cimarron plant, reportedly wanted to make public evidence of missing plutonium and falsified safety records. A movie about her, "Silkwood," was released a month ago and has grossed $10.8 million at the box office. Last week, its $2.1 million in ticket sales ranked it 7th in movie ticket receipts. Silkwood's family sued in 1976, alleging negligence by Kerr-McGee and Silk w sood ... family wins suit seeking damages for injuries Silkwood suffered - primarily fear and anxiety - during the nine days from her con- tamination to her death. A jury in Oklahoma said Kerr-McGee should pay Silkwood's three children $500,000 in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages. The jury also awarded $5,000 for Silkwood's con- taminated belongings that had to be destroyed. By GEORGEA KOVANIS A University student was found dead in his home at 802 E. Kingsley Monday morning, the apparent victim of a suicide. Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Harold Tinsey said 19-year-old Alan Keener, an LSA sophomore from Royal Oak, Michigan, died by hanging sometime over the weekend. FRIENDS OF Keener said they were surprised by his death. "He's always been so happy," said one student who asked not to be iden- tified.The student added, however, that Keener seemed withdrawn this year and was outgrowing his easygoingness. "I thought he was getting more reserved," she said. Keener's death marks the seocnd suicide of this academic year and the first suspected suicide of 1984. In 1983 two students killed themselves, one on campus and the other off campus. Keener had worked at the Michigan Union ticket office. HAPPENINGS- Highlight Princeton University Prof. A. Walton Litz, author of "Introspective Voyager: The Poetic Development of Wallace Stevens" and editor of heretofore unpublished Ezra Pound letters, will continue the series of lec- tures on "Ezra Pound Among the Poets" with a 4 p.m. lecture in Rackham's East Conference Room. Films AAFC - M; 7 p.m.; The Trial, 8:45 p.m., Aud. A. Angell. CFT - The Tin Drum, 6:30 & 9:15 p.m. Mediatrics - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, 7 p.m.; Long Day's Journey into Night,9 p.m., Nat. Sci. Cinema Guild - The Yakuka, 7 p.m.; The Friends of Eddie Coyle, 9:10 p.m., Lorch. Performances Musical Society - Concert, Richard Stolzman, clarinet and William Douglas, bassoon, 8:30 p.m., Rackham Aud. Union Arts Festival - Music at Mid Day, Shari Lane plays finger Picking Guitar, 12:15 p.m., Kuenzel Room, Union. UAC - Soundstage Dance Band Bash featuring SLK and warm-up band the Blue Rays, 8:30 p.m., Michigan Union Ballroom. Tickets $2.50. Speakers emistry - L.S. Bartell, "Do the VSEPR Points-on-a-Sphere Repulsions Simulate Quantum Interactions?"4 p.m., 1200 Chem. Rackham, LSA, Western European Studies - Pauline Norton, "'Ex- celsior".and Annabelle Lee': Dualism in Victorian Popular Music,"4 p.m., West Conf. Room, Rackham. Museum of Anthropology - Henry Wright, "Madagascar as a Laboratory in Cultural Adaptation: An Archeologist's Perspective," noon, 2009 Museums. Japanese Studies - Yoko Ichikawa, "Sentence Particles in Japanese Conversation: What Are They Doing There?" noon, Lane Hall. Computing Center - Forrest Hartman, "Introduction to Accounting Management," 3:30 p.m., 165 Business Admin.; Bob Blue, "Introduction to MTS: Basic MTS Commands," 7 p.m., 2235 Angell, Dave Hetrick, "Micro Session 1: Command Language I," 7:30 p.m., 19 Angell. Meetings Washtenaw Zenith Users Group, 6 p.m., 2903 Taubman. Fencing Club -8 p.m., Coliseum. Student Legal Services - Board of Directors, 7:30 p.m., 3000 Union. Med. Center Bible Study -12:30 p.m., F2230 Mott. Cooperative Outdoor Adventures -7:30 p.m., 1402 Mason. Eating Disorders Self-Help Group - 7 p.m., First United Methodist, Huron & State. Undergraduate English Association - Social Committee, 5 p.m., 7th floor lounge, Haven; Library Committee, 7 p.m., 7th floor lounge, Haven. Miscellaneous Scottish Country Dancers - Beginning Class, 7 p.m., Intermediate class, 8 p.m., 2531 Shadowood. League - Egypt night, 5 p.m., cafeteria. Museum of Art - Art Break, 12:10 p.m. Women in Communications - wine social with professionals, 7 p.m., Kuenzel room, Union. SAC - Resume Writing Workshop, noon, Alumni Center. People for Jim Dunn - News Conference, Jim Dunn, 10 a.m., Pond Room, Union. To submit items for the Happenings Column, send, them in care of f Happenings, The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Malicious Intent +' l i 'I ( lit Chrysler to file anti-trust suit against GM WASHINGTON (UPI) - Chrysler Corp. will file suit challenging the government's preliminary ap- proval of a landmark deal for General Motors and Toyota to jointly build a new line of subcompact cars, a Chrysler source said yesterday. The source said a formal announcement of the suit will be made at a news conference today shortly-after papers are filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. "WE CONTEND (that the joint manufacturing) would be a clear violation of antitrust statutes," said the source, who asked not to be identified. The Federal Trade Commission on Dec. 22, divided over whether the deal would create a monopoly, gave tentative approval for GM and Toyota to produce a GM-designed car with a Toyota-designed engine. GM, the world's largest automaker, and Toyota, the world's third biggest, intend to begin production later this year at a GM plant in Fremont, Calif. provided the FTC grants final approval. THE FTC has said it would issue a final ruling following a 60-day period for public comment, which is now scheduled to end next month. In a petition filed with the FTC Monday, Chrysler asked that it receive a full copy of a memorandum of understanding signed by Toyota and GM and receive a copy of the agency's staff analysis of the proposed venture. The auto giant asked in the petition that the 60-day clock be restarted after it receives the material. The FTC has not said if it will grant the request. THE FTC GRANTED preliminary approval of the joint venture last month after GM and Toyota signed a consent agreement to limit production to 250,000 cars a year, restrict the venture to 12 years and limit exchange of information. If the deal goes through, it would mark the first time that two major automakers jointly make a new line of cars in the United States. Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca last month blasted the FTC for its GM-Toyota decision, saying the com- mission "is letting the two strongest automotive companies in the world monopolize the siall-car market." State intervenes in college, worries 'U' officials (Continued from Page 1) would be considered unconstitutional and would probably be challenged in court, said University Regent Thomas Roach (D-Saline). Four year universities are autonomous and should be protected from such actions, said Roach. But Root said community colleges are not immune to state intervention under Michigan'sconstitution. THE UNIVERSITY is in the process of filing a suit against the state challenging the law which orders public institutions to divest of their financial holdings in firms operating in South Africa. University attorneys say the state has no authority to enforce the law. Last April, the rights voted to divest 90 percent of the University's invest- ments in South Africa. This is theffirst timeinMichigan's 166 year history of-higher education that the legislature has acted to take away power from a college's board of trustees. The state has been closely involved with the affairs of the community college since its creation, said Gary Hawks, state director of higher education management. It is Michigan's only community college that is not supported by a millage ap- proved by area voters. Instead state law requires an 11 percent tax on Wayne county residents to fund the college.tIn addition the school receives almost twice as much in state aid than any . other community college, Root said. Daily Classifieds Bring Results ... A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for? - ROBERT BROWNING min f n. er - A - , tr .