The Michigan Daily - Monday, November 4, 1985 - Page 3
Coalition seeks toxic
chemical regulation
Art Appreciation
The sculpture in front of the Museum of Art on State Street provides a game of hide-and-go seek for two
youngsters over the weekend.
C 0
C. Aeria rferendu "m proposd
By LAURA COUGHLIN
A coalition of local groups hopes to
convince the Washtenaw County
Board of Commissioners that small,
non-manufacturing companies in the
area must inform their workers as
well as the community about toxic
chemicals in their workplaces.
The PublicInterestwResearch
Group in Michigan will collect
signatures during a petition drive on
the Diag today and tomorrow in sup-
port of the proposed regulation.
BOARD chairperson Meri Lou
Murray in the next few weeks will in-
troduce the regulation, which will ap-
ply to companies not covered under
codes of the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration regarding
toxic chemicals in the workplaces.
The regulation would require these:
firms - generally small, non-
manufacturingcompanies - to
provide access to information about
the types of chemicals used, how
much is used, where the substances
are located in the workplace, and how
the toxic wastes are disposed of. The
county health department would en-
force the rule.
"At a meeting I attended, Detroit
area firefighters claimed that there
were 2,000 cases of firefighter ex-
posure to toxic chemicals," said Andy
Buchsbaum, state program director
for PIRGIM, one of eight groups af-
filiated with the Washtenaw Right to
Know Coalition.
"It will be important to get students
activated on this issue through the
ATTENTION
STUDENTS
SAVE 20%
On all
Michigan Daily
Classified Ads
with Student I.D.
" FIND A ROOMMATE
* SELL UNWANTED
ITEMS
" ANNOUNCE PARITES
" BUY OR SELL TICKETS
Place your ad Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-
5 p.m. at The Michigan Daily office,
420 Maynard, or Wednesdays at the Fish-
bowl.
rally and petition drive since the rule
would directly affect them then
dealing with coursepack copiers, dry
cleaners, and research areas on cam-
pus.'
NEITHER Buchsbaum or other
members of the coalition, however,
could say just how many companies
would be affected by the proposed
rule. The board of commissioners will
help decide the actual scope of the
regulations.
Murray said the board's aim is to
provide "an enforceable regulation"
which will protect the environment
and community by targeting non-
manufacturing companies who use
large amounts of toxic chemicals."
"We don't want to go after com-
panies who use negligible amounts of
chemicals or who use common sub-
stances which can be picked up at the
grocery store," Murray added.
THE coalition hopes that the board
will approve the regulation so that it
sends a message to the state and
federal governments to toughen up
laws already on the books for bigger
manufacturing companies.
The only opposition to the proposed
rule the coalition foresees is from the
state Chamber of Commerce, which
challenged a similar regulation ap-
proved in Macomb County.
The chamber argued that Macomb
County's ordinance was uncon-,
stitutional because it violated the
companies' rights to due process and
proper search and seizure methods.
But a federal district court upheld the
county's rule. The chamber is curren-
tly appealing the court's decision.
Chamber leaders also believe that
current state laws are adequate and
are being improved under three
house and senate bills, said Rich
Studley, vice president of government
relations for the chamber.
"A negative impact on prospective
new business in Washtenaw County
and on current businesses diver-
sifying is also a concern of the Cham-
ber of Commerce," Studley said.
Buchsbaum, however, said that
liability insurance for firms that
comply with the rule could be
lowered.
By AMY MINDELL
A local coalition opposed to
President Reagan's policy in Central
America is circulating a petition to
place a resolution outlining its com-
plaints on the city elections ballot in
April.
The month-old Coalition for Peace
in Central America needs 3,654 valid
signatures by Jan. 6 to put their "Or-
dinance Establishing Initiatives for
Peace in Central America" on the
=ballot. So far, about 200 signatures
have been gathered in three days.
IF APPROVED by a majority of
voters in the city elections, the
resolution would become an ordinan-
ce that requires the city clerk to notify
.."
local congressional representatives
that the residents of Ann Arbor:
*Oppose all military aid to Central
America and support the right to self-
determination;
*Oppose any support for the over-
throw or destabilization of the gover-
nment of Nicaragua or the aerial
bombing of El Salvador, and support
a negotiated peace settlement;
*Request that federal funds freed
for these purposes be spent for
promotion of services vital to the
welfare of our citizens, as well as
toward similar needs of the people of
Central America.
-HAPPENI NGS-
Highlight
Curt Wands, director of the Guatemalan Health Right Network, will be
giving a talk and slide-show entitled "Guatemala: Healing the Wounds"
at noon in room 3042 in the School of Public Health building. The talk is
sponsored by the Latin Solidarity Committee, the American Medical
Student Association and the Public Health Student Association.
Films
MTF - Ziggy Stardust, 7 & 9 p.m., Michigan Theater.
Performances
ARK - Saline Big Band, 8 p.m., 637 S. Main St.
School of Music - Composers forum, 8 p.m., Recital Hall.
Speakers
Near Eastern & North African Studies - Teshome Wagaw,
"Assimilation of Ethiopian Jews into Israeli Society," noon, Lane Hall
Commons room.
Women's Club - Nancy Reame, "Premenstrual Syndrome: The Ups &
Downs of PMS Research," 7:45 p.m., W. Conference room, Rackham.
Classical Studies - W. Geoffrey Arnott, "The Chorus in Euripides:
Realism vs. Convention," 4:10 p.m., Rm. 2009, Angell Hall.
School of Business - Dewalt Ankeny, "The Banking Industry," 4 p.m.,
Hale Auditorium.
Studies in Religion - Harvey Cox, "Jesus & the Moral Life," 8 p.m.,
MLB 3.
Friends for Mental Health - James House, "Social Support and Coping
with Stress," 7:30 p.m., Ann Arbor Public Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave.
Meetings
LSA faculty - 4:10 p.m., MLB 4.
Society for Creative Anachronism -7 p.m., East Quad.
MS counseling group -7 p.m., Washtenaw United Way, 2301 Platt Rd.
Miscellaneous
Canterbury House - Open class on developing intuition, 8 p.m., 218 N.
Division St.
Microcomputer Education Center - Workshops: Basic Concepts of
Database Management, 1to 3 p.m., Rm. 3113; MacManage: Disc & File
Management on the Macintosh, 3 to 5 p.m., Rm. 3001, School of
Education.
Guild House Campus Ministry - Reading: J. Radcliffe Squires &
Lawrence Smith, 8 p.m., 802 Monroe St.
Chemistry - Seminar, James Hoeschle, "Platinum Anti Tumor Com-
plexes: Selected Chemistry, Structure-Activity Correlations & Recent
Clinical," 4 p.m., Rm. 1200, Chemistry building.
The ordinance would also mandate
that Ann Arbor be linked to sister
cities in five Central American coun-
tries, and that a temporary task force
be created to oversee the match-up.
"Our goal is to give voters - in-
cluding students the chance to ex-
press their opinion on the U.S.
policy," said Jeff Alson, a coalition
member and Ann Arbor resident. "We
realize that (the resolution) is largely
symbolic, as we can't change U.S.
foreign policy."
Alson said that the coalition has
chosen to circulate the petitions
rather than ask a councilmember to
introduce the resolution because of
the symbolism demonstrated by in-
dividual residents requesting change
in American foreign policy.
About 10 local groups, including the
Latin American Solidarity Committee
and the Michigan Alliance for Disar-
mament, compose the coalition.
Are you
LOOKING FOR A JOB
NEXT TERM?
Are You
A CAMPUS LEADER?
Apply to be a Campus Day
Student Leader
Help prospective students
experience the University
Applications andainformation
available at the
Office of Admissions,
1220 S.A.B. through Nov. 8
__________________________________________________________________ a
IT'S ALL OVER
CAMPUS!
DAILY~
&T I2'
RAIL Y1
ri
C -
G 'T jr
,(
. '
,
L°
r
: '
,T _
GET Irl
l-
1-7-
§;c
..
....
titi
d
^ .1 . ,
91\X
4%
i
r
C
//
1
J '~'I If
/t
w
N .
I I
11
r~ 1
~ ~.4-** A .
,l.
tt '
A- '
-
1 1/1
ISN'T
ALWAYS
THE BE~
ST
i v% iim I A mk. - mw A